The Russian language contest held among Viennese schoolchildren

April 1, 2019 the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Vienna hosted a contest on Russian language among pupils of urban gymnasiums, organized by the Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature of Vienna with the assistance of the RCSC. The event was attended by 22 pupils from seven schools. Candidates study Russian as compulsory or as an elective.

The contestants showed their skills in building a monologue and conducting dialogues on the final exam before the jury, which included Valentina Shevergina, Head of the Russian Language Science Center, Elda Rintelen, teacher at the gymnasium of Mödling, and Andreas Gruber, teacher of the College of Vienna. The students showed high results, and the jury was not easy to determine the winner. As a result, the first place was shared by Bertan Öchan (Franklinstraße Gymnasium 26) and Victoria Zwirz (Frissgasse High School). The finalist without Slavic roots was Tobias Rindler (Karl Popper Grammar School).

The participants and winners of the contest were greeted by the Director of the RCSC Dmitry Sokolov, the Chairman of the Austrian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, Father Sebastian Hacker, and the school inspector of Vienna Waltraud Mori. They congratulated and thanked the contestants for their participation and interest in the Russian language. Waltraud Mori noted that the Russian language from a professional point of view is especially in demand in Vienna’s gymnasiums, second after English.

Victoria Zwirts and Tobias Rindler were awarded certificates for free courses at the RCSC during the semester, all participants received memorable prizes. Bertan Yochan will take part in the federal final.

The Russian Language electronic collection is presented on the Presidential Library’s portal. It includes manuscripts and publications of monuments of Russian literature, archival files, research papers (including dissertations and theses), dictionaries and reference books, as well as teaching aids. The digital collection will be of interest not only for specialists in the field of linguistics, but also for a wide range of users who love and appreciate the Russian language.

Based on materials of http://rs.gov.ru.