The municipal government of Moscow with support from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russkiy Mir Foundation and newspaper Soyuz: Belarus-Russia announce the start of the International Pushkin Competition for Russian Teachers of the Near Abroad, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports.

The theme of this year competition is “Language Leads to the Truth”. The teachers participating in the competition are asked to write an essay on the one of the following topical questions: Will a common textbook on the history of WWII be written for post-Soviet states?   What kind of support should be provided for the Russian language abroad? How can the Russian language facilitate education and communication, comprehension of historical truth? What kind of support does it provide for compatriots who are seeking to protect their rights?

The winners of the 2011 Pushkin competition were honored in a ceremony at Moscow’s city hall in September. The theme of last year’s essay focused on “20 years without the Union: How can people’s friendship be taught?” A total of 200 teachers from 16 countries participated in the competition. Each year 50 teachers are recognized through this program, with 550 teachers now having received this award over the past 11 years.

Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service