Promoting Russian Language and Culture in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The event, called 'Travelling in Russia – a Rich and Varied Culture', was conducted by Belgorod State University's Russian as a Foreign Language Faculty at the Pedagogical Institute, along with colleagues from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Mostar. It builds on the success of the 'Peoples of Russia' exhibition in Sarajevo, which demonstrated the level of interest in the cultures of the Russian Federation. It is hoped that these types of events will promote a deeper understanding and friendship between our countries.

Our own Dr Lyudmila Svoykina acted as tour guide, exploring the sights of St Petersburg and Moscow, showing off national costumes and cuisine, meeting heroes from folk tales, and demonstrating hand-made toys and musical instruments, all in an amusing way designed to uncover some of the mysteries of the 'Russian Soul'. Then, local Russian language teacher Dr Marija Obradović read a short piece entitled, 'What Do We Know about Russia?' Professor Tatiana Samosenkova, a colleague of Dr Svoykina, commented that,
“We do not just teach Russian language. Our goal is to attract foreign students to the study of Russian culture, history and traditions. Preparing for such meetings is very laborious, as it requires the adaptation of the language material into bespoke phrases that make it easier for foreigners to understand.”