RUSSKIY MIR FOUNDATION DONATES BOOKS AND DIGITAL EQUIPMENT TO 27 SCHOOLS IN SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, JULY 2 /SRNA/ – A ceremonial handover of books and digital equipment donated by the Russkiy Mir Foundation /Russian World Foundation/ to 27 schools in Republika Srpska offering Russian language classes was held today at the Russian Cultural Centre in Banja Luka.

The donation includes 27 sets of Russian language textbooks and teaching materials, 25 laptops, 15 projectors and 14 interactive whiteboards. Tatiana Shlichkova, Executive Director of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, said the project's main objective is to support children studying Russian, thus contributing to strengthening Republika Srpska - the Russian Federation relations. "The donation includes textbooks and teaching materials that will help both students and teachers enrich the learning process by introducing elements of play and interaction, enabling children to learn Russian not only through theory but also through practical activities," Shlichkova told the press in Banja Luka during the handover ceremony. She stressed the support for students learning Russian will continue, as well as for teachers in Republika Srpska-based schools, for whom special professional development programmes would be organised. "We will also seek to reward students who demonstrate the highest level of proficiency in the Russian language," Shlichkova added. Nataša Cvijanović, Assistant Minister of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, said Russian is taught in 110 primary and secondary schools across Republika Srpska and stressed the importance of the donation not only for students studying Russian but also for other pupils, as the digital equipment will remain available for general classroom use. She told the press that the Russian Federation and Republika Srpska already enjoy successful cooperation in the field of culture, while noting that there is considerable room to expand cooperation in education as well. Slađana Tanasić, Director of the Republika Srpska Pedagogical Institute, said the donation is a continuation of the institute's cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in BiH. "Cooperation can be characterized as our support for competitions involving primary and secondary school students studying Russian, as well as numerous teacher training programmes dedicated to the Russian language," she stressed. Ljilja Petrović Zečić, Director of the National and University Library of Republika Srpska, recalled that the Russian Centre was established in 2012 as the 88th such centre worldwide. "Today, only 48 remain due to policies directed against the Russian Federation, which have led to the closure of many of these centres," she said. She stressed that the Russian Centre, which operates within the National and University Library in Banja Luka, works to foster cultural ties, marks national holidays and is also home to the Alexander Nevsky Russian Choir. Yury Pichugin, Head of the Russian Federation Embassy Office in Banja Luka, said today's donation is part of the Russkiy Mir Foundation's ongoing activities. "The Foundation has long implemented numerous projects in Republika Srpska, including cooperation with Prijedor-based Tradition Preservation Association," he said, adding that such projects would continue. The Russkiy Mir Foundation was established on June 21, 2007, by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As primary objectives, the Foundation includes the promotion of the Russian language as a national treasure of Russia and an important element of both Russian and world culture, as well as the support for Russian language education programmes in Russia and abroad.