A Russkiy Mir Cabinet will open at one of the leading international lyceums of France – Lycee International des Pontonniers – located in the historical center of Strasbourg.
The agreement was reached in the course of the visit of Anton Ilin, a European representative of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, to Strasbourg. He came to the lyceum where he had a work meeting with the principal of this educational institution Martine Quelen who is also Vice President for the Association of International Lyceums in France.
An international section of Russian language (actually functioning since 2004) was officially opened in 2010 in Lycee International des Pontonniers. The students of senior grades are treated to in-depth learning of Russian; moreover literature and history are also taught in Russian. Overall 136 students are learning Russian within the lyceum's walls today, including 86 students who learn it as the second or third language, while the Russian section already numbers 50 teenagers.
A representative of the Russkiy Mir Foundation met with coordinator of the Russian section, Professor Evgeny Smirnov, with the teachers of Russian as a foreign language, and with the lyceum students from the Russian section in the course of an open lesson.
Mr. Ilin pointed out that the opening of the Russkiy Mir Cabinet is called to provide for the needs of the students and teachers of Les Pontonniers for necessary teaching and methodology aids, including textbooks on literature and history, the works of Russian writers, history atlases -- everything that comprises the complete set of the Cabinet.
The example of the Strasbourg Lyceum was followed by three other French lyceums: Lycee Camil Jullien in Bordeaux, Lycee International in Versailles and Lycee de Valbonne in Nice, where Russian sections were opened as well.
A principled arrangement with these lyceums relative to the opening of Russkiy Mir Cabinets has already been reached in the course of negotiations with the French Education Ministry and now the dialogue continues with the Association of International Lyceums.
Russkiy Mir Foundation Information Service
