Bashkortostan Marks Fifth Anniversary of All-Russian Literary Prize Soul of Nature

A ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the All-Russian literary prize Soul of Nature was held in Tuymazy, Bashkortostan, at the Rodina city palace of culture. The contest drew 150 applications from authors representing 47 Russian regions and five foreign countries. After assessment by the Grand Jury, a longlist of 15 prose writers was narrowed to five finalists.

Vyacheslav Lyamkin was named the winner for his novel Amber Tears of Ini. He received a 100,000-ruble certificate, a special statuette and a ribbon, presented by Leonid Ivanov and Sergei Podoprikhin. Four laureates received diplomas, statuettes and 25,000-ruble certificates. Other finalists included Natalya Kadomtseva, Razilya Ryskuzhina, Svetlana Potapova and Alexey Pranov.

Jury chairman Kamil Zigangshin said the prize is one of the most prestigious in the country. Grand Jury member Alfiya Galimullina, who could not attend, addressed the ceremony by video, as did laureate Alexey Pranov. Pranov said nature should not be seen merely as a source of profit and that wild animals must be protected.