Registration continues for the International Olympiad in Russian as a foreign language "Lobachevsky/RU"

Until March 1, 2026, Lobachevsky University continues to accept applications for participation in the 8th International Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language "Lobachevsky/RU". The aim of the Olympiad is to increase interest abroad in the study of the Russian language, to attract foreign citizens and compatriots living abroad to study in Russia, and to determine the communicative skills of students of Russian as a foreign language.

Last year, 1,019 foreign participants from 88 countries around the world registered for the Olympiad. The top 10 countries in terms of the number of participants included Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria and Syria. A total of 65 individuals were awarded prizes and became winners of the 2025 Olympiad. Of these, 21 were admitted as students to Lobachevsky University under master's degree programmes on a tuition-free basis.

Participation in the Olympiad is open to foreign citizens and stateless persons aged 14 and over. However, foreign citizens from countries where Russian is an official language are not eligible to compete. All relevant information regarding the Olympiad can be found on its official website.

The Olympiad is held in three stages from December 1, 2025 to March 27, 2026. To take part, applicants must fill in the registration form on the website and complete the online task of the first stage before March 1, 2026.

UNN has been hosting the Lobachevsky/RU International Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language since 2018. Since 2020, the Olympiad has been conducted remotely. In 2021, the Lobachevsky/RU Olympiad was included in the list of events organised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, which entitles the winners and prize-winners of the competition to study in Russia free of charge in master's programmes within the intergovernmental quota.