Russian Centre
About Russian Centre
On 25 January 2009, the first Russian Centre in the Balkans opened at Varna Free University as a joint project between the University and the Russian World Fund.
The interest evinced by the Fund in cooperating with Varna Free University evidences its acknowledgment of VFU’s high reputation in Bulgaria and Europe. For many years Varna Free University has been partnering with different academic institutions from Russia. In 2007, Varna Free University hosted MAPRYAL’s 9th International Congress. The University Department of Foreign Languages regularly hosts certification exams in Russian as a foreign language. Every year since 2005, students and post-graduate workers have had the chance to attend linguistic and scientific placements at leading Russian universities.
The project realised in cooperation with the Russian World Fund is mainly dedicated to promoting Russian as one of the building blocks of world culture, as well as to supporting Russian teaching programmes in the region.
Russian Centre’s resource provides broad access to diverse educational, methodical and popular information about Russia.
Varna Free University Russian Centre boasts:
- an abundant book-stock comprising over 1000 books, including fiction, educational, popular science and children’s books; textbooks and methodical books; history, philosophy, psychology, culture, art, economics and law books; dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedias;
- a multimedia collection (classic and modern Russian films, audio books, an educational and methodical resource);
- a number of Russian educational programmes.
Russian World Fund provides all visitors of the Centre with free electronic access to all major Russian mass media and leading library catalogues.
Russian Centre is home to printed, audio and video materials in major fields, such as: "Culture and Art", "Science", "Education", "Russian", "History", "Society" and "Modern-Day Russia". Thanks to all these characteristics, Russian Centre is able to guarantee perfect conditions for efficient learning, not only for Russian students, but also for specialists from other professional fields. The modern methods and systems used at the Centre guarantee the best conditions for holding applied science conferences, methodical seminars, discussions, lectures and courses.
Russian Centre’s modernly equipped conference room regularly brings together leading lecturers and scholars, as well as cultural and public figures from Bulgaria and Russia.
VFU’s Russian Centre is a perfect place for instruction and qualification of Russian students, as well as a convenient venue for all those willing to experience Russian culture and history. Thanks to participation by leading professors, scholars and popular culture and art figures, Russian Centre regularly hosts literary readings, contests, exhibitions, movie and lecture sessions, and creative meetings.
What is Russian Centre?
Definition and mission:
- Russian Centre is an international cultural project realised by the Russian World Fund in cooperation with leading academic and educational centres.
- All Centres exist to promote Russian and Russian culture as some of the building blocks of world civilisation, to support Russian teaching abroad, and to help develop intercultural dialogues and strengthen mutual understanding between nations.
- Russian Centres have a calling to represent the enormous diversity of the Russian-speaking world, being united by their commitment to Russian history and culture. The Russian-speaking world is formed of people of lots of different nationalities and religious beliefs, i.e. all Russians and their compatriots abroad, as well as all emigrants and foreign nationals evincing interest in Russia’s culture.
- Russian Centres provide broad access to the Russian cultural, historical and literary heritage, to the methods and practices used in Russian education, as well as to many modern creative solutions and programmes. Their operation is based upon the principles of hospitality, transparency and tolerance.
Comprehensiveness and multifunctionality
In terms of its structure, a Russian Centre is a unique module complex equipped with special programmes, corresponding to the reality of the country where it is located. The Fund is permanently enriching and updating the materials available in its Russian Centres.
A Russian Centre is a resource centre providing broad access to diverse educational, methodical and popular information about Russia.
It is an educational system enabling efficient Russian learning based on progressive methods and programmes.
A Russian Centre is a communication venue providing perfect conditions for organisation of creative and artistic events, scholarly discussions and informal interaction between representatives of different cultures.
All Russian Centres are equipped with Russian printed, audio and video materials in the following basic fields: "Culture and Art", "Science", "Education", "Russian", "History", "Society" and "Modern-Day Russia".
- Library (printed stuff by leading Russian publishers):
- Fiction books;
- Educational magazines;
- Textbooks and methodical books;
- Popular science books;
- Children’s books;
- Books in history, philosophy, psychology, culture, art, economics, law; Russian dictionaries, reference books and encyclopedias.
- Media Library – a multimedia store containing audio, video and multimedia materials:
- A multimedia collection;
- Russian cinematography classics and contemporary movies;
- Audio books, audio lectures, audio shows, audio trips;
- Educational and methodical stuff, reference materials;
- Programmes for individual organisation of the educational process;
- Programmes for Russian learning on different levels;
- Free electronic access to all major Russian mass media and leading library catalogues.
Main activities
- Information and reference activities – provision of access to a large amount of information in different fields:
- Educational, methodical and popular science books;
- Multimedia releases;
- Up-to-date internet reference resource;
- Electronic database encompassing all Russian mass media;
- Printed and electronic versions of encyclopedic dictionaries;
- Geographic atlases and art catalogues;
- Databases in: "Education in Russia", "Russian courses", "Distance learning", etc.;
- Russian Regions Database;
- A comprehensive Русский мир.ru Magazine Archive;
- Information resource on social and cultural events in the Russian-speaking world and such concerning Russian World’s activity.
- Educational activities – programmes and courses developed for different user categories:
- Russian skill acquisition and extension based on specialised printed and multimedia resource;
- New methods in Russian teaching using DVD films (subtitled in different languages), based on multimedia educational programmes;
- Class preparation using different modern means of information presentation;
- Test preparation under diverse programmes for teaching Russian as a foreign language;
- Individual work organisation for students and users;
- Methodical assistance in selecting educational stuff, as well as scientific and reference books and materials in different disciplines;
- Ideal conditions for individual and team work using our multimedia collection, watching and listening to history courses, art lectures, studying classic literature.
- Creative work – Organisation of art events:
- Organisation of temporary and permanent exhibitions;
- Organisation of movie evenings;
- Film watching and discussion sessions;
- Organisation of thematic weeks dedicated to Russian literature, culture, cinematography, sport, etc.;
- Organisation of creative contests;
- Organisation of festivals and holidays dedicated to Russian and Russian culture;
- Provision of assistance to folklore ensembles and other groups promoting Russian culture;
- Participation in creative and artistic programmes organised by the Russian World Fund;
- Organisation of music evenings.
- Communication activities – assistance in the field of scholarly, cognitive and informal intercultural interaction:
- Organisation of scholarly forums and seminars;
- Round table and discussion organisation;
- Foundation and organisation of interest and family clubs;
- Organisation of children’s and youth cultural programmes;
- Organisation of conferences and literary readings;
- Organisation of lecture sessions on diverse topics;
- Organisation of thematic presentations;
- Organisation of meetings with interesting people and outstanding cultural and public figures from Russia;
- Consultation on matters relating to grants, as well as to educational and cultural programmes funded by Russian World;
- Cooperation and interaction within the Fund’s social network;
- Preparation and publication of materials promoting the Centre in the mass media.
Internship:
Saint Petersburg 2012
Moscow 2011
Moscow 2010
Moscow 2008
Saint Petersburg 2007
Moscow 2005
Projects:
Summer Academy 2012
Summer Academy 2011
Summer Academy 2010
Summer Academy 2009
Russian World Fund
The main goals of the Fund include promoting Russian as one of Russia’s national treasures and an important part of Russian and world culture, as well as supporting Russian language instruction in the Russian Federation and abroad.
RW’s main objectives are as follows:
- To support any public, academic and educational organisations whose activity corresponds to the goals of the Fund, providing funding for their projects;
- To provide support for all Russian scholarly and educational centres in Russia and abroad;
- To help nations develop a favourable opinion of Russia, giving people knowledge about the country;
- To create scholarly, expert and political channels for developing bilateral relations with foreign countries and international organisations;
- To promote Russian educational services abroad;
- To help Russian regions expand their international relations;
- To provide assistance with performing expert, scientific and academic exchange;
- To promote the Russian mass media and information resource abroad;
- To support organisations established by Russian university undergraduates;
- To carry out cooperation with international undergraduates studying at Russian universities;
- To provide support for Russian websites based in foreign countries;
- To provide assistance upon establishing women’s, youth and children’s Russian-speaking organisations in offshore countries;
- To support any activity dedicated to conserve Russia’s hand-written heritage;
- To cooperate with the Russian Orthodox Church and other religions in promoting Russian and Russian culture.
Courses
Russian Centre organises the following Russian language courses:
- Русский экзамен туризм 1;
- Русский экзамен туризм 2;
- Для повседневного общения;
- Для делового общения.
International certificates:
- The course comprises three modules of 30 academic hours each, and takes place each academic year.
- All course participants are given priority upon enrollment for a language placement in Russia.
- The exam will take place in November 2011.
- For enrollment and other information: Russian Centre, Tel. +359-52-359-636
We are awaiting you!
Contact Us
Tel./Fax: +359-52-359-636
email: russiancentre@abv.bg
Chayka Resort, 9007 Varna, BG
Russian Centre, Chernorizets Hrabar Free University of Varna