The official opening ceremony was held today at the Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language for the international internship program Russkiy Mir Students – 2010. The program is organized and supported by the Russkiy Mir Foundation. Fifty students from 22 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America are participating in the program, which provides them the opportunity to study Russian language in Moscow. On hand to welcome the students at the opening ceremony were Sergei Morgunov, first deputy executive director of the Russkiy Mir Foundation; Vitaly Kostomarov, president of the Pushkin Institute; and Yuri Prokhorov, rector of the Pushkin Institute. 

The speakers at the opening ceremony all noted not only the importance of studying Russian language and literature but also pointed out that interest in and the significance of the Russian language is growing throughout the world. Russian language is increasingly one of the most popular first languages of study for students, which makes it particularly important that education programs for foreign students be held in Russia.

The Russkiy Mir Student program will span two and a half weeks, during which the students will attend classes at leading Russian language and literature institutes. The opening ceremony for the program symbolically coincides Knowledge Day, which is celebrated on September 1 every year in Russia. This program of the Foundation is providing many students with the opportunity to visit Russia for the first time. Throughout the course of the program, the students will not only have the opportunity to become immersed in a Russian-language environment, they will also be able to see firsthand the unique characteristics of the country whose language they study as well as share their experiences with other students.