In March 2025, we mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Turkologist, expert in Gagauz studies, Honorary Citizen of Gagauzia, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Liudmila Pocrovscaia. In accordance with the academic activity of the Department of Gagauz Philology, to commemorate this date in March, Comrat State University, together with the Maria Marunevici Scientific Research Center of Gagauzia, held a series of events: On March 18, 2025, on the birthday of the Turkologist, students and professors of the Departments of Gagauz Philology and History of CSU laid flowers at the memorial plaque of Liudmila Pocrovscaia, installed on the house where she lived during her work as a professor at the Department of Gagauz Philology at CSU (Comrat, Pushkin Street, 20). On March 18, 2025, students and professors of the Departments of Gagauz Philology and History of Comrat University visited the grave of Liudmila Pocrovscaia in Beșalma, honored her memory, and laid flowers. On the same day in Beșalma, a round table was held titled “Liudmila Pocrovscaia – an Outstanding Turkologist and Gagauz Studies Scholar,” organized by the Main Department of Culture, the P. Draganov Central Library, and the National History and Ethnography Museum of Beșalma. Participants of the round table gave presentations on the creative and scientific work of Lyudmila Alexandrovna. The film “The Gagauz of Soviet Moldova,” shot by Lyudmila Alexandrovna in 1950, was shown, and students recited poems by Liudmila Pocrovscaia. Museum staff performed the romance “Shine, Shine, My Star,” translated into Gagauz by the Turkologist; the folklore group "Sedef" performed the song "Moda," which Lyudmila Alexandrovna recorded in 1948 in Vulcănești. Acting Head of the Department of Gagauz Philology and History, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences G. N. Mutaf, delivered a presentation titled “Overview of the Articles of Professor and Turkologist Liudmila Pocrovscaia on the Phonetics and Vocabulary of the Gagauz Language.” The event was also attended by undergraduate and graduate students of the department. On March 21, 2025, a round table was held titled “Liudmila Pocrovscaia – Turkologist, Professor. Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of Her Birth.” Teachers of Gagauzia, students and professors of the Department of Gagauz Philology and History of CSU, researchers from the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Moldova, employees of the Main Department of Culture and regional libraries, and public figures took part in the round table. The speakers noted the significant contribution of Liudmila Pocrovscaia to the development of the written Gagauz language and the study of Gagauz oral folk art. In her speech, Doctor of Philology Ivanna Bancova emphasized the invaluable role of the Turkologist in the study, description, and creation of the scientific grammar of the Gagauz language. Department lecturer, Doctor of Philology Vitali Sîrf gave a presentation titled “Questions of Gagauz Studies in the Epistolary Heritage of Liudmila Pocrovscaia” and provided an overview of selected letters from the Turkologist’s personal correspondence with colleagues, in which she shared her thoughts on the future and functioning of the Gagauz language. In addition to the organized and held events, professors of the department participated by invitation in events organized by other institutions of Gagauzia. On March 12, 2025, students of the Faculty of National Culture and Doctor, Lecturer of the Department of Gagauz Philology and History Galina Mutaf took part in an event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding professor and Turkologist Liudmila Pocrovscaia – an educational hour titled "The Russian Gagauz Woman," organized by the staff of the P. Draganov Central Library of Gagauzia. Library staff presented biographical information about the life of Liudmila Pocrovscaia, showed a presentation on her scientific works, and introduced the publication "Folk Songs of the Gagauz," released in 1989 in the series “From the Collection of a Folklorist,” authored by Liudmila Pocrovscaia and M. Chernysheva. An exhibition review was held for the attendees, presenting newspaper and book materials, as well as photographs from the scholar's life. In the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the creator of the scientific grammar of the Gagauz language, Lyudmila Alexandrovna Pokrovskaya, the department plans to hold additional events dedicated to the memory of the founder of the Department of Gagauz Philology at Comrat State University, an outstanding Turkologist and Gagauz scholar who made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Gagauz language.

Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor Ivanna Bancova
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Lecturer Galina Mutaf