SPbU Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language united more than 8.5 thousand participants

The number of participants in the 2023 Olympiad has increased by 43% compared to last year.

This year, despite the difficult political situation, citizens from 144 countries between the ages of 12 and 35 took part in the competition. These include residents of Kazakhstan, Greece, Mongolia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Angola, Venezuela, Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. 

Since 2018, the university has been running an international online competition for people interested in the Russian language. ‘The quality of the candidates’ preparation is constantly improving, and at this Olympiad almost 280 candidates performed the most difficult tasks of Round II flawlessly, setting a high standard for the rest,’ said Dmitry Ptyushkin, Director of the SPbU Language Testing Centre.

The Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) is a system of state examinations that certifies the level of Russian language proficiency in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The TORFL is required for those wishing to study at a Russian university and also for those who need a certificate of Russian language proficiency for professional purposes.

First degree diplomas were awarded to 477 foreign nationals. Second and third places went to 433 and 435 people respectively. Winning the Olympiad will give all diploma holders the opportunity to take the Russian as a Foreign Language exam free of charge in 2024. The winners and runners-up will also receive additional points for their portfolios for admission to St Petersburg University.