International events: The Year of Language and Literature of Great Britain and Russia 2016 to be held under the sign of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s’ memory

The British Council is launching a series of cultural and educational activities in the framework of the Year of Language and Literature of Great Britain and Russia in 2016, which will be marked by the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's memory.

One of the key points of the program - a semi-annual online festival Shakespeare Lives, which starts broadcasting the concert "Ode to Shakespeare" from the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where the great playwright was baptized and buried.

From April 23 to June 30 visitors and passengers of one of the largest airports in Eastern Europe - "Domodedovo" - will be able to visit the photo exhibition «Shakespeare Lives at Domodedovo Airport».

The State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow opened Shakespeare's days during the vernissage of the exhibition "From Elizabeth to Victoria. English portrait from the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London".

In addition, the exhibition will contain a series of eleven lectures "400 years of British history in portraits". As part of the educational program their speech will deliver writers, curators, journalists and scientists of Great Britain and Russia, who will talk about the key figures of British culture and history.

April 25 will be held the All-Russian "Shakespeare Day" in schools. The "Shakespeare Day" will involve as an educational institution, as well as music and art schools in Russia. Sami classes will be held in the traditional game or a creative way.

As part of the "Shakespeare study" in the period from 25 April to 1 September will be held the All-Russia competition of literary translation. Its participants will be offered excerpts of works by contemporary British writers, known in their country, but has not yet translated into Russian.

On April 28, the British Council and the educational project Arzamas will launch a free online course "All Shakespeare". The project will be dedicated to William Shakespeare, the myths about him, his plays and theatrical fate during his lifetime and after his death. As part of the educational project a free game application Emoji Shakespeare will be launched, with the help of which you can test your knowledge of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies and other works of the great bard. The application will be available in both English and Russian languages at the end of April 2016 in the App Store and Google Play.