Birchbark Letter Day festival marked in Veliky Novgorod

/

VELIKY NOVGOROD, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - A Beresta (first-found
birchbark letter) is marked here on Sunday. The discovery was made on July
26, 1951, at the Nerev dig. A memorial mark has been set up there. Since
then, for 20 years now, the city has been marking the Beresta Day.
A Novgorodian woman, Nina Akulova, has gone down in history as the
discoverer of the first ancient birchbark letter. She came to the dig to
earn a little money during those post-war hungry years. A monument to the
former worker of a furniture factory represents the first-found birchbark
letter and a short inscription reading "It was due to her hands that the
first birchbark letter was discovered on July 26, 1951".
Sergei Troyanovsky, Candidate of Science (History), director of the
Novgorodian Center of Archeological Explorations, believes that the find
of the first birchbark letter in this ancient Russian city was "one of
major archeological discoveries of the 20th century, which can be compared
to the deciphering of texts on Egyptian papyrus".
However, the Rosetta Stone that paved the way to the decipherment, had
been found by an unknown French soldier who was digging trenches during
the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt. Therefore, the world knows only the
name of Jean-Francois Champollion, who managed to read the mysterious
texts.
"Novogorodian archeology proved more lucky in this respect: we know
both the name of the discoverer of the artefact -- Nina Akulova -- and
that of the scientist who was the first to decipher birchbark texts,
Moscow Professor Artemiy Artsikhovsky," Troyanovsky said.
Nowadays, the collection of birchbark letters comprises 973 items.
"Due to the brichbark letters we have delved much deeper into the
phychology and world outlook of the medieval Novgorodian," Troyanovsky
pointed out.

.Assad, Mitchell to discuss MidEast process prospects.

BEIRUT, July 26 (Itar-Tass) - George Mitchell, special envoy of the US
president, on Saturday began his fifth regional tour by visiting
Damascus. Upon arriving in the Syrian capital he did not make any
statements. However, Western diplomatic sources confirmed the seriousness
of the American emissary's intentions.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to received Mitchell on Sunday to
discuss prospects for a resumption of talks on various tracks of the
Middle East peace process, primarily on the Syrian-Israeli one.
The experienced American diplomat regards Syria as a key player in
regional affairs and counts on its assistance on the Lebanese and
Palestinian dossiers. Besides, it is not ruled out that Washington's
emissary will request Damascus to influence the tough stance of Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and convince him to accept the demands of
the West with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme.
Back in June the administration of Barack Obama announced an intention
to raise the level diplomatic representation and send an ambassador to
Syria after a four-year interval. The US president and the Syrian leader
alternately gave interviews to the British Sky News TV channel, in which
they did not rule it out that they might meet soon.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem welcomed the new US president's
encouraging pronouncements addressed to Syria and made it clear that
Damascus was ready to receive the US president.
Mouallem, touching upon the idea of convening an international
conference on the Middle East, expressed a wish that such a forum crown
successful bilateral talks and work out international guarantees of a
lasting peace. At the same time he voiced doubt about the advisability of
the holding of such a conference now that Israel,as he put it, makes
moves that undermine peaceful efforts and jeopardise stability in the
region.
-0-pop