In Mali, the International Day of the Russian Language (the 227th birthday of Alexander Pushkin) was celebrated with two brilliant events.

The first one, a solemn one organized by the Russian Embassy, gathered teachers, students, schoolchildren, representatives of various departments, public figures, artists and, of course, Russophiles at the Friendship Hotel in Bamako, under the representation of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Mali Burema Kansai (who is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University) and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic Mali I.A.Gromyko.

Representatives of public organizations such as the Russian House, the Sahel Initiative, the Sahel Perspective, the Union of Patriots of Mali, MDR, etc. were present in the hall.

In their speeches, the Ambassador and the Minister stressed the importance and place of the Russian language in the world and the need to develop existing scientific, educational and cultural ties between our states and peoples. Students and schoolchildren (mostly from lyceums and Leo Tolstoy schools) sang songs, read Pushkin’s poems, and students of the National Conservatory performed with choreography about scholarships to study in Russia.

A musical film was shown in the official languages of Russia. At the end, after a break with tea and coffee, a film about the life of the great poet and the father of the modern Russian language is shown.