Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
December gave Siberian students a bright event – the XII Regional Calligraphy Competition among students, organized Confucius Institute at NSUUnder the motto "Race to a new journey, the aroma of calligraphy throughout the world," more than 80 participants from Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Biysk, and Gorno-Altaisk competed in brushwork. Works were submitted by eight universities: Novosibirsk State University (24 participants), Altai State University (20 participants), the Baltic Branch of Altai State Pedagogical Univ. (14 participants), Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management (9 participants), and Gorno-Altaisk State Pedagogical Univ. (7 participants), as well as Novosibirsk State Technical University, Saratov State University of Railway Transport, and Novosibirsk State Pedagogical Univ. (1 to 4 participants). The competition took place on December 13 at Novosibirsk State University.
The coming year, 2026, is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac. The horse symbolizes indomitability, forward momentum, immediate success, courage, and the power of "a thousand running horses." Participants wrote phrases related to this theme, expressing not only the external beauty of the characters but also their symbolic essence.
The beginner group was required to write the following phrase in calligraphy: “文行天下” (“Culture, knowledge, and education are your capital and a pass to the world”) and, in addition, “马到成功” (A wish for swift, almost instant success in all endeavors. “Like a valiant horse that reaches its destination immediately upon arrival, so may your efforts quickly lead to excellent results.”).
For the intermediate group (participants who have been studying Chinese for more than 2 years), the phrase was “让中文零距离 纵骏马驰万里” (“Close the distance with the Chinese language – rush towards the goal like a valiant steed!”).
The competition winners received prizes from Xinjiang University, NSU's partner in the Confucius Institute project, including calligraphy gift sets.
Andrey Efimov, winner of the senior group, spent six months in China on a scholarship. He had previously won a calligraphy competition and taught calligraphy classes at the student club at the RANEPA's Scientific and Management Institute. His path to victory was a combination of passion, patience, and perseverance: he was placed in a Chinese language class where the teacher assigned him to write thousands of characters with a gel pen. Andrey not only wrote accurately but also competed against himself, imitating ancient Chinese calligraphers, and later developed his own style.
"Then I learned that the Confucius Institute at our university was accepting students for a brush calligraphy course and quickly signed up. The course was taught by a Chinese teacher, Zhao Pan. Thanks to him, I learned the basics of brushwork: it turned out that writing with a brush is much more difficult than with a pen, but this only spurred me on—after completing the course, I continued practicing on my own. This was followed by my first victories in pen and brush calligraphy competitions. My advice to calligraphy beginners: don't be afraid to take the first step! There's a wonderful phrase in Chinese, usually attributed to Lao Tzu: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I believe this first step is the most important," said Andrey Efimov.
The regional calligraphy competition was not just a test of skill, but also a true celebration of the Chinese language and culture, uniting students from Siberia in their pursuit of excellence.
May the inspiration with which the participants took up their brushes accompany them further—to new knowledge, discoveries, and heights, and may calligraphy continue to connect hearts through the beauty and meaning of its symbols!
We wish all participants to gallop through the vastness of the Chinese language like a noble steed, achieving success!
Winners and prize winners of the XII Regional Competition of Chinese Brush Calligraphy among students.
Competition group – continuing
1st place:
Andrey Efimov, NSU.
2nd place:
Arsen Shirov, NSPU
Anna Shirokova, NSU
Daria Makarova, NSU
3rd place:
Alexey Gutov, NSU
Daria Atkina, NSU
Sofya Pustovarova, NSU
Anna Tikhomirova, NSU
Valeria Zaitseva, BF Altai State Pedagogical University
Diploma for success:
Nikita Kazakov, Altai State University
Karina Likhanova, NSU
Tatyana Lysova, NSU
Competition group – beginners
1st place:
Anna Bakhina, NSU
2nd place:
Evgeniya Popova, BF Altai State Pedagogical University
Rufina Narodnykh, GASU
Maria Verentsova, NSPU
3rd place:
Maria Suprun, NSU
Anna Drozd, NSU
Alexandra Marshalok, NSU
Anna Mikhailova, NSU
Daria Mikhailovskaya, NSU
Diploma for success:
Bayaru Tordokova, Altai State University
Dashina Tsyrenova, NSU
Ulyana Kiseleva, BF Altai State Pedagogical University
Ignat Shameev, NSU
Anastasia Utkina, NSUEM
Congratulations to the winners and runners-up!
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