A video showing a young Russian girl and her Indian classmate singing a much-loved Kannada children’s poem while cycling through a Bengaluru street has captured the attention of thousands online, drawing praise for its warmth and cultural connection.
The clip was first uploaded to Instagram by the Russian child’s mother and has since been widely shared across social media platforms. In the clip, the two friends, who have attended the same school for more than three years, pedalled side by side while cheerfully performing "Bannada Hakki" — which translates as Colourful Bird — a poem familiar to generations of schoolchildren in Karnataka.
The Instagram caption read: “3 years in India. Girlfriends – classmates. 3 years of friendship,” underscoring the bond formed since the family relocated to India. Before the cycling footage, the post included photographs from as far back as 2022, illustrating moments from the girls’ shared experiences over the years.
Reaction to the video was overwhelmingly positive, with many users describing it as a touching example of unity and the natural ease with which children can bridge cultural and linguistic divides.
The video reached a wider audience after it was reposted on Reddit. One user wrote: “A Russian kid singing a Kannada poem based out of Bengaluru with her local friend. How good it is to watch! Even foreigners learnt Kannada, what’s your excuse in spreading more love and compassion towards our language?”
The post prompted broader conversations about language learning, childhood adaptation, and the role of schools and communities in encouraging the adoption of local tongues. One comment read: “It’s easier for kids to learn a language to speak as they’re not worried about pronunciation.”
Others used the opportunity to raise concerns about language education policy: “The government should make local language mandatory in schools so that second-generation immigrants will learn it.”
Several participants shared personal stories and experiences. One person noted: “I learned Kannada when I was 2, along with my mother tongue. But most migrants work in tech hubs or areas where few people speak Kannada, so they never get immersed enough to pick it up.”
Another speculated that the young Russian girl’s fluency might be supported by her schooling: “She might be learning Kannada as a subject in school. I’ve tried learning 40–50 words, but without someone to practise with, it’s easy to forget.”
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