The awards ceremony for the winners of the Russian language Olympiads, originally scheduled for April 25th, took place successfully on May 16th at the Amadou Hampaté Bâ Palace of Culture in Bamako.

The event featured the participation of 193 schoolchildren aged 13 to 17, representing 28 secondary schools (comprising 80% public institutions, 20% private institutions, and the Military Academy Lyceum).

The organization of the event was supported by 30 Russian language teachers, including the Russian Language Inspector for the Bamako district and the Head of the University’s Department of Russian Language. Nine students emerged as winners — three from each grade level (10th, 11th, and 12th).

Concurrently, an online Russian language competition was organized by the Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad; the winners of this contest also received prizes.

The 200-seat venue was filled with attendees, including the organizers (most of whom are members of the International Russophile Movement in Mali), Russian Embassy Attaché D.A. Plyugina, Consul D.A. Vlasov, other embassy staff members, parents, and representatives from the Russian House, Sahelskaya Perspektiva, the Sahelskaya Initsiativa, and the Ministry of Education. Also present were public figures and “Friends of Russia”—almost all of whom are members of the International Russophile Movement.

The International Russophile Movement presented gifts to the winners, consisting of textbooks and dictionaries (both Russian-French and French-Russian) that had been purchased in April at the Dom Knigi bookstore in Moscow. The ceremony featured the national anthems of Mali and the Russian Federation, speeches, and student performances (including poetry recitations, songs, and theatrical sketches). A minute of silence was observed in honor of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of April 25th — a tragedy that claimed the life of one of the young laureates from the Military Academy.

The celebration of the Russian language was a resounding success.

Now, we look forward to the upcoming Russian Language Day on June 6th.