Pavel Kozhevnikov: Poet and a Teacher of Russian par Excellence!!
September 17, 2007 | 
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Pavel Kozhevnikov, who immigrated to Colorado Springs from Kazakhstan, recently published his first book of poetry in Russian. This is the story of his views on an immigrant’s life journey that continues to evolve.
Pavel Gregorievich Kozhevnikov has the mind of a scholar and the soul of a poet. His “real job” has been in higher education, but his “beloved job” is his poetry.
“I guess poetry can be serious or not. I started to write poetry in 1967 as a student at the Uralsk Pedagogical Institute” and things progressed from there. “Mr. K” the name his students have given him in American schools, began writing poetry when he was walking home through in the orchards that surrounded his village. He was returning from a friend’s home; it was midnight; suddenly it started to snow. “And the poem simply streamed into my soul.”
Poetry maintained its hold upon Pavel as he studied, worked, gained prestige in his university, and in the schools he administered. The things that touched his soul, love, loyalty, and human feelings, found a place in his personal writing. Some poems he shared with family and friends; others he kept to himself only until now with the publication of his first book of poetry.
“I want to publish my poems in English,” Pavel told me. “I am working now on a biographical novel which will comprise my life under communism and here in the USA.”
Pavel is a household name as Professor of Russian Language at Pikes Peak Community College and UCCS. He dedicated the last 10 years of his life to teaching one of the few Russian language programs in Colorado, at Mitchell High School, where his students earned national awards at the prestigious Olimpiada competitions. Pavel also has received the School District # 11 coveted Crystal Apple Award, the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers Award for Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and University of Northern Colorado’s prestigious Outstanding Teacher Award for 2007.
Pavel’s former students remain a part of his extended family, often returning to speak to his present students after years of being away from his classes. They speak about his dedication to the profession, his skills as a Russian interpreter for the NASA space program, and his work with U.S. military forces locally. They also speak to Pavel’s successes because he himself does not talk about all he has done for second-language education in this community. He prefers to let the results shine in their own right.
Pavel’s first book of poetry has been published in Staritsa, Russia, “about 200 miles to the north of Moscow.” Pavel went on, “I was invited to present it to a local club of poets. It was accepted very well. There were two poets, members of the Union of Russian Poets…the highest organization of poets in Russia. They complemented me on my poems and gave me a lot of good advice on how to improve my style.”
Pavel has chosen to “improve his style” by continuing to write poetry daily in addition to tending to his new granddaughter and assisting his wife Gail at her post as Elementary School Principal. “Poetry is my life and my love. I want to dedicate this love to people who choose to learn about my life through this medium.”
Pavel’s poetic cadences remind the reader of his small village, its change of seasons, and its intense emotional impact upon him and his immediate family. His daughter Lena has caught much of his poetic energy in her paintings, and both she and Pavel plan a second volume of his poetry, which will contain major pieces from her art works.
“Life is good here,” Pavel told me. “I love my life, my wife, and my children are with us. Now I have time to celebrate the emotions I did not express before. I have time to think and to remember.”
Below is the transcript of an interview with Pavel Kozhevnikov. The interview was conducted by Jugal Kalita and Margaret Mistry over lunch at Sakura Sushi and Grill, located at 3117 W. Colorado Avenue.
Where did you grow up, Pavel?
I was born in the Republic of Kazakhstan, in former Old Soviet Union.
Where did you learn English?
I am a native Russian speaker. I learned German in high school. The school I went to had mandatory German. My teachers in German were so impressed with my abilities that they told me I should become a German professor. However, the local university I went to didn’t have a German major. So, I majored in English.
Tell us about your career. What brought you to the US?
After graduation from college, I was sent to a rural district center called Peremyotnoye where I taught grades five through ten for five years. Then, I worked as the First Secretary of Comsomol, a youth organization, for two years. I was promoted to an orblost where I worked on organizing academic and other competitions for young people for four years. In 1981, the First Party Secretary of the Uralsk Region invited me to go to Almaty, the capital, and work for the Government of Kazakhstan. I became the Commissioner for the Department of Tourism because of my fluency in foreign languages. Then, my personal life crashed ending in a divorce.” Divorce was not socially accepted in the Soviet system.
In 1987 Communist parties collapsed all over the Old Soviet Union including Kazakhstan. Pavel continued, “I became eligible for good jobs again. I became an Assistant Principal and then the Principal of the Central School at Almaty. I got interested in politics and was elected Deputy in the City Council in Almaty. I got a big break when President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan invited me to be the member of a group of individuals who advised him and the population on how to privatize government companies and properties to private hands. This was the best time of my life although I worked in this capacity only for a year. In 1992, I met Gail, an American who had come to Almaty to work with the new government. We got married and I moved to Colorado Springs, and a new world.
What have you done during your time in the US?
I started teaching Russian at Pikes Peak Community College right away. I also became the VP of a publishing company that sent books to Russia. I started teaching foreign languages and social studies at Mitchell High School. I also worked for the US Army for a while doing translations. I am retired from high school teaching now, but I continue to teach at UCCS and PPCC. I am another example of an individual who had high careers before, but had to start from scratch after immigrating to the US.
Were you writing poetry all this time?
Yes, all the time, but not seriously.
Tell us about your new book of poems.
It’s a book of Russian poems with a few English poems thrown in. The poems were written from 1967 through now. The book was published in Tver in Russia where I have my family––my parents and kids from my first family. Many of the poems are about the little village in Kazakhstan where I was born and raised. My daughter Lena illustrated the book with her beautiful sketches. She hasn’t been to the village, but she was able to draw them vividly. I have a few English poems; one of them is dedicated to my dear wife Gail.
Thank you for talking with us.
Thank you for inviting me.
- Jugal Kalita and Margaret Mistry. Photos by Margaret Mistry
The Flute Player continues his song..
September 17, 2007 | Email This Post
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When John Edwards took a notion to take a class in marketing, little did he know that this decision would change his life and that of his community. John was transitioning from military life to civilian life then, taking a major step from military foreign language specialist to private entrepreneur. It seemed so simple and yet such a drastic change of lifestyle.
John took another significant step, following his marketing studies with a life-changing apprenticeship with a colleague who introduced him to the world of Native American culture and life.
“I discovered that Native American art is a way of representing life, a way of viewing the world,” he said during our interview. “True Southwestern Art can only be created here. Everything else is pure imitation.”
John’s apprenticeship took him across the Southwest for long buying trips that never failed to surprise him. Trading posts, Native American Pow Wows, new friends, and trusted families provided him with what would become staples of his business. “Business was learning about art, and the artists who create this art,” John said. “My customers want to know about the people who made this wonderful art. I make it my business to tell them so they can share it with others as well.
When John and his wife Linda took the next significant step in their personal vision quest and purchased The Flute Player Gallery in Old Colorado City, there was no going back. John continued on his buying trips while Linda tended the shop, creating an invitational atmosphere to house the prize-winning art pieces that John had collected in his travels. Among the artists featured at The Flute Player are masters whose works are featured at the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C. and beyond. Others are up and coming artists who are “making a name for themselves right now.”
“We have a great variety of things here, and they are not all expensive,” John added. “That’s because fine art does not have to be extremely costly.” Linda seconded John’s comment with one of her own. “John enjoys finding a good bargain, and he passes it on to his customers. That’s why our customers have become our extended family, you might say.”
Both John and Linda pride themselves on sharing what they know with others. Many customers have begun as novice collectors and go on to become fine collectors in their own right. John and Linda go on buying trips together now, but they leave the shop in the hands of trusted colleagues who share their love for the art and a know-how to present it to the public. They have created a twenty-plus year success story because they invite others to explore the Native American view of the world.
“This is what I truly enjoy,” John commented. “Sharing the beauty of this special world with people who respect it and believe it must be treasured.”
The Flute Player Gallery is a delight for people of all ages, artistic sophistication, and taste. One can find vintage pieces that were all the rage decades ago as well as the “hits” of this year’s Indian Market. John will tell you all you want to know about each piece, make no mistake about that.
“Indian Art can be read the way you read a history book,” John said. “It keeps evolving, changing, and delighting those who take the time to look.” Baskets, rugs, pottery, fetishes, jewelry, sculptures, and the list goes on, have found a special niche at John and Linda’s shop. “Customers come in, but they leave as friends,” Linda said.
You will find The Flute Player gallery at 2511 West Colorado Avenue. Telephone 719-632-7702. John and Linda will ensure that you are among new friends, and always, the best company in town.
By Margaret Mistry. Photos by the author
Onward UCCS! The Campus is on an Expansion Spree!!
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The newly built Recreation Center high on Austin Bluffs Parkway on the UCCS Campus
On the 16th of August, UCCS took another big step it its continued physical expansion on top of Austin Bluffs Parkway. A brand new $12 million dollar Campus Recreation Center, funded by student fees was dedicated in the presence of CU President Hank Brown, UCCS Chancellor Pamela Shockley-Zalabak, successful alumnus and entrepreneur Bahram Akradi, several hundred faculty, staff, students and community members, and a few Regents of the University of Colorado. Bahram Akradi, a 1982 graduate of UCCS and the founder of the Life Time Fitness chain of health and recreation clubs, took the opportunity to donate a check for $100,000 to the campus. This is in addition to the equipment he has donated for the gyms inside. The Campus Recreation Center has a swimming pool, aerobic and fitness rooms, an indoor running track, a basketball court, and two gyms inside. The opening of the Campus Recreation Center fills a big gap on campus. The building has a tremendous sweeping view of Colorado Springs and the Front Range.
The same day saw the re-dedication of another building on campus, Dwire Hall, originally built in 1972. Dwire Hall, which houses the College of Business, the School of Public Affairs, and the Departments of Economics, and Languages and Cultures, opened after a 2-year remodeling effort that cost $10 million dollars. The new building has nice conference rooms, eleven classrooms, seventy-seven offices, a lecture hall and a coffee shop. The building’s atrium is impressive with several decks and a great view. As you enter the building, it feels as if you have entered the corporate headquarters of a successful company or an airport about to take off. The dedication ceremony on August 16th and the follow-up banquet attracted a few hundred individuals. Dean Venkat Reddy of the School of Business at UCCS and other campus executives welcomed the individuals who attended the festivities.
By Jugal Kalita, photos by the author
Everybody Welcome!
September 17, 2007 | Email This Post
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Everybody Welcome: A Celebration of Cultural Diversity took place on August 18th in downtown Colorado Springs between 10 AM and 6 PM. Many cultural events took place in the downtown area in several locations: Acacia Park, City Auditorium, Kiowa Street between Nevada and Weber, and Weber Street between Bijou and Kiowa. The first in a proposed annual event was put together by Colorado Springs Diversity Forum to celebrate the cultural diversity that exists in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs. There were music, dances, crafts, food, information booths and lectures showcasing the wonders of diversity that make Colorado Springs a welcoming place for everyone. The mission of the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum is to “work to create opportunity for our citizens to appreciate the rich diversity in our community and communicate that appreciation to those inside and outside our community.” The festival on August 18th definitely is a positive step toward meeting the objectives outlined in this mission statement.
By Jugal Kalita. Photos by Bonmayuri Kalita
Forthcoming Events in Colorado Springs
September 17, 2007 | Email This Post
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(Through mid-October, 2007)
September 18, Tuesday, 8-10 PM, Mountain Lion Field on UCCS campus: Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation: NCAA Division II Sponsored Charity. The film Bend It Like Beckham (2002) will be shown on a 25-foot-tall, 15-foot-wide screen on the soccer field. Admission is free but donations are encouraged.
September 18th, Tuesday, 10 A.M. - 6 P.M., Front Range Business Expo, USAFA Press Box: EXHIBITOR SPACES FROM $225 FOR BOOTHS, $80 FOR TABLES, Contact: Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 719-481-3282. $5 AT THE DOOR. www.trilakeschamber.com
September 21, Friday, 7 PM, Cancer Survivors Concert, Woodman Valley Chapel: (TICKETS ARE $25. Fundraiser for CANCER SURVIVORS PARK OF COLORADO to be built on the NE CORNER OF AUSTIN BLUFFS AND NEVADA. (Phone: 719-330-8162.
dianna@davidtempleton.com
September 21, 8 P.M. Friday; September 22, Saturday 2 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.; September 23, Sunday, 2 P.M., “TRUTH IN TRANSLATION”, ARMSTRONG THEATRE, ON THE Colorado College CAMPUS: 11 South Africans recount of the story of their country’s healing. Director: MICHAEL S. LESSAC; Music by HUGH R. MASEKELA. Ticket: $20-45, $20 with a CC ID.( 389-6607 ; 227-0086 for the general public. www.cfwt.org
September 22, Saturday, 7 PM to midnight, GIVE PEACE A DANCE, PARAGON ROYAL BALLROOM, 3125 SINTON ROAD (NEAR FILLMORE AND I-25): PIKES PEAK JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION WILL CELEBRATE AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE WITH AN EVENING OF GREAT MUSIC BY 2 LOCAL BANDS (TRIBE AND AIYO (EYE-YO), PLUS FOOD AND DRINK. $15, 632-6189.
September 22, Saturday, 7:30pm-9:00pm, UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art, “Nightmare in Rio”, a multi-media event involving original Latin Fusion: with Gregory Walker, guitar, Associate Professor of Music CU Denver; Glen Whitehead, trumpet, Director of Music, Assistant Professor of Music, UCCS; Randy Bowen, drums; Kim Stone, bass; the Rippingtons, and Spyro Gyra. Evocative Brazilian imagery will be projected onto a screen on-stage and superimposed with the speech recognition transcript of the musicians’ verbal communications during the performance. 262-4155.
Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM), Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 6:30 PM (Doors open 5:30 PM), BEST OF SONDHEIM - BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, Pikes Peak Center: BEAUTIFUL GIRLS explores a woman’s journey through the stages of her life. The revue creates a collage of all of the philosophies of love and life. Maestro Paul Gemignani conducts a full orchestra and the famed Lonny Price directs.( ( Tickets are $350 and $500 per person. Call 719-475-1737 ext 22.
September 28, Friday, 7:30pm-9:00pm, UCCS Campus Recreation Center, Reach Your Peak Scholarship Fundraising Dinner: Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough, winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and two-time recipient of the National Book Award, will address the community. Ticket prices $250 (Includes VIP Reception, Book Signing, and Dinner): begins at 5:00 p.m.( $35 General Public (Lecture Only): begins at 7:30 p.m.( $15 UCCS Faculty and Staff (Lecture Only): begins at 7:30 p.m.( -$10 Non-UCCS Students (to include middle school, high school and college/university) with ID (Lecture Only) and UCCS Alumni (Lecture Only): begins at 7:30 p.m.( Free for all UCCS students with ID (Lecture Only): begins at 7:30 p.m. Info or Contact: http://www.uccs.edu/lectureseries, or (719) 262-3637.
September 29, Saturday, 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM), Sunday, September 30, 2:30 PM (Doors open 1:30 PM) COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC: ODE TO JOY!, Pikes Peak Center: Lawrence Leighton Smith, Conductor. BEETHOVENS MONUMENTAL SYMPHONY NO. 9. FOUR OUTSTANDING VOCAL SOLOISTS AND THE AWARD WINNING 130-person COLORADO SPRINGS CHORALE. TICKETS WEST OUTLETS, www.ticketswest.com or 520-SHOW. $15.00 to $52.00.
October 02, Tuesday, 7:30 PM (Doors open 6:30 PM), GEORGE JONES IN CONCERT, Pikes Peak Center: Jones has won two Grammys. Inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. Received the prestigious 2002 National Medal of Arts Honor from President George W. Bush. His latest project is “Hits I Missed….And One I Didn’t”. $44.50 to $49.50 USD.
October 5, Friday, 7 PM, David Taylor Dance Theater’s “A Children’s Rainforest Odyssey”, PIKES PEAK CENTER: ENJOY CREATIVE HANDS-ON ART EXPERIENCES PRIOR TO THE PERFORMANCE.( This awe-inspiring contemporary dance was specifically created for school children and families. TICKETS ARE $10, $15, AND $25 (Phone: 597-3344, imaginationcelebration.org, amber@imaginationcelebration.org. $10.00 to $25.00.
OCTOBER 6, Saturday, 7:30 PM, Cossit Gym, COLORADO COLLEGE. THE TEKCNO POWWOW II: THE RETURN OF THE FUNK, A MULTI-MEDIA, MULTI-CULTURAL PERFORMANCE AND PARTICIPATORY DANCE PARTY, 389-6607, www.TheIdeaSpace.com
October 6, Saturday, 7 PM: United States Air Force Academy Football against UNLV at the Air Force Academy: To buy tickets: USAF Academy Athletic Ticket Office, 2168 Field House Drive - USAFA, CO 80840, Phone: 800-666-USAF (8723) or 719-472-1895, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.). Located just west of the Cadet Field House in the Falcon Athletic Center.
October 6, Saturday, 7:30 PM (Doors open 6:30 PM) LOREENA MCKENNITT, Pikes Peak Center: (McKennitt’s latest album, An Ancient Muse is inspired primarily by travels among and reading about the various cultures along the Silk Road. $35.00 to $75.00.
Ocotber 6, Saturday, Colorado College Hockey against University of Calgary, 7:07 p.m.: To purchase season tickets or to receive information: Call (719)-389-6324 ( or email Matt.Gaudry@ColoradoCollege.edu.( To purchase single-ticket tickets: Go to the World Arena Box Office or Call TicketsWest at (719)-576-2626.( or online. Single game ticket prices start at $13.
October 7, 5 PM, BILL COSBY, ( Pikes Peak Center: Comedy show. $41.50 to $51.50.
October 11, Thursday, 7:30 PM, PIKES PEAK COMMUNITY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL CAMPUS THEATRE, FLAMENCO show “PASION FLAMENCA”: 5675 SOUTH ACADEMY BLVD. 7:30PM. $20. PERFORMED BY JUAN SIDDI & COMPANY FROM THE WORLD-RENOWNED MARIA BENETIZ IINSTITUTE FOR SPANISH ARTS. ( 520-show, www.ticketswest.com
October 12, Friday, Under-18 US National Team, 7:37 p.m.: To purchase season tickets or to receive information: Call (719)-389-6324 ( or Email Matt.Gaudry@ColoradoCollege.edu.( To purchase single-ticket tickets: Go to the World Arena Box Office or Call TicketsWest at (719)-576-2626.( or online. Single game ticket prices start at $13.
October 13, 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM) COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC: BEST OF THE WEST WITH THE COLORADO WRANGLERS, Pikes Peak Center: ( Thomas Wilson, Conductor( Vern Thomson, Guitar( Joe Stephenson, Fiddle( Scotty Vaughn, Bass. Vern, Joe and Scotty with the western songs and film scores you love. $15.00 to $52.00.
Ocotber 14, Sunday, 2 hours, times vary, Zorro!, Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, University Hall, UCCS: a new Zorro play by a noted Latino playwright, collaboration between UCCS Theaterworks and the All Pikes Peak Reads project. Event URL: www.theaterworkscs.org. Event Contact: 719-262-3232. Event Email: tickets@uccs.edu.
October 18, 7:30 PM, Thursday, CURTIS ADAMS - MAGIC THAT ROCKS, Pikes Peak Center: (Magic show. $28.00 to $48.00.
October 19, Friday, Colorado College Hockey against University of Minnesota, 7:37 p.m.: There are a limited number of season tickets available!( To purchase season tickets or to receive information: Call (719)-389-6324 (or Email Matt at Matt.Gaudry@ColoradoCollege.edu. ( To purchase single-ticket tickets: Go to the World Arena Box Office or Call TicketsWest at (719)-576-2626.( or online. Single game ticket prices start at $13.
October 20, Saturday, Colorado College Hockey against University of Minnesota, 7:07 p.m.: There are a limited number of season tickets available! (To purchase season tickets or to receive information: Call (719)-389-6324 (or Email Matt at Matt.Gaudry@ColoradoCollege.edu. (To purchase single-ticket tickets: Go to the World Arena Box Office or Call TicketsWest at (719)-576-2626.( or online. Single game ticket prices start at $13.
October 20, Saturday, 7 PM: United States Air Force Academy Football against Wyoming at the Air Force Academy: To buy tickets: USAF Academy Athletic Ticket Office, 2168 Field House Drive - USAFA, CO 80840, Phone: 800-666-USAF (8723) or 719-472-1895, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.). Located just west of the Cadet Field House in the Falcon Athletic Center.
October 20, Saturday, 8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM), ( Sunday, October 21, 2007 - 2:30 PM (Doors open 1:30 PM) COLORADO SPRINGS PHILHARMONIC: BELOVED BRAHMS CONCERTO, Pikes Peak Center: Lawrence Leighton Smith, Conductor( Norman Krieger, Piano (Bizet: Patrie! (Schubert: Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”( Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2. Virtuoso pianist Norman Krieger performs Brahms and Maestro Smith conducts Schubert’s melodious “Unfinished Symphony.” $15.00 to $52.00.
Editorial
September 17, 2007 | Email This Post
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This is the second monthly issue of Colorado Springs Record+. The first issue received a warm welcome in the community, and it has gratified and energized us.
Our objective in bringing out CSR+ is to highlight activities and achievements of individuals and organizations that make life rich and pleasurable in our beautiful hometown by Pikes Peak. CSR+ also intends to bring our readers reviews and descriptions of cultural performances, artistic efforts, intellectual activities, and other life-enriching activities in our city.
This issue of CSR+ features an interview with a poet whose work in Russian and English describe simplicity, tranquility, and a passion for life. We showcase a commercial establishment, run by a former military language specialist who has established a lifelong relationship with Native American art. We also write about two spanking new buildings on the UCCS campus, an institution that impacts the intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural environment in Colorado Springs. Finally, we celebrate the diversity that exists in Colorado Springs with a note on the Everybody Welcome festival that took place recently.
If you, esteemed reader, know of any individual or organization that you think has made a positive and significant difference in Colorado Springs, please send an email to editor@colosprings.org. Include name, address, and your reason for nominating this person or organization for recognition.
We intend to produce Colorado Springs Record+ as an Internet-only magazine for the time being. Once we obtain sponsors or advertisers, we shall publish hard copies of CSR+. If you know of anyone who may be interested in receiving this Internet magazine, please request that s/he subscribe to it at our Website at www.colosprings.org. We also invite potential sponsors and advertisers to contact CSR+ at marketing@colosprings.org.
Sincerely,
J and M
Jugal Kalita and Margaret Mistry
