All-Turkish Olympiad in Russian Language

The All-Turkey Olympiad in Russian Language is a significant educational event aimed at promoting the Russian language as an integral part of world culture, strengthening its position in Turkey, and supporting national Russian studies. Organized annually by the Association of Russian Language Teachers and Translators of Turkey with grant support from the Russian World Foundation, organizational support from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, and assistance from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Turkey, the representation of Rossotrudnichestvo (Russian House in Ankara), MAJRAL, Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, and the Coordination Council of Organizations of Russian Compatriots in Turkey (CCORST).

The expansion of multidimensional cooperation between Russia and Turkey in recent years, including trade, economics, and socio-cultural spheres, the increasing number of mixed marriages, and the annual growth of Russian citizens vacationing at Turkish resorts, have led to a stable interest among Turkish citizens of various age groups and professions in learning the Russian language.

The Russian language is in high demand in the hospitality and tourism business. In addition to tourism, professionals with knowledge of the Russian language are sought after in foreign trade and banking. Russian remains the primary communication language for Turkish workers operating not only in Russia but also across the CIS region.

Russian is the second most popular foreign language in Turkey, with instruction provided in both public and private educational institutions. Given the significant popularity and prevalence of the Russian language, especially in tourist regions and major cities, it is challenging to estimate the approximate number of individuals proficient in it to some degree. Various expert sources cite figures ranging from several hundred thousand to half a million people, not including those capable of understanding and/or expressing themselves in Russian within specific professional spheres such as tourism, trade, construction, and the hotel industry.

A distinct category of Russian language speakers includes Turkish citizens temporarily residing in Russia or one of the CIS states for purposes such as business, education, or seasonal work. According to estimates from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Turkey, their number amounts to several tens of thousands of individuals.

Over the last two years, there has been an active establishment of Russian language learning groups in preschool educational institutions for children.