Discovering Russia: Russian Language and Culture Festival in Kenya

Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, hosted the «Discovering Russia» festival of Russian language and culture from 9 to 11 October. It brought together more than 300 people interested in Russian language, culture and traditions.

The festival was organised by Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU), with support from the My History Foundation and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The main organisational and educational work was led by a team from TSPU’s Institute of Foreign Languages and International Cooperation.

Over three days at the Sarit Expo Centre, participants explored Russian culture and traditions, learned about opportunities to study at Russian universities and took part in a variety of interactive activities.

One of the highlights of the second day was a language festival organised by TSPU’s Institute of Foreign Languages and International Cooperation in collaboration with students from the Open Education Centre in Kenya. Kenyan students enthusiastically recited poems about love, freedom and friendship by Alexander Pushkin, Sergei Yesenin and Nikolay Gumilyov. Music offered another way to experience Russian culture: participants performed well-known Russian songs, including «Mother Earth», «Katyusha» and «Kalinka-Malinka», and presented lively traditional folk dances.

The festival attracted people of all ages, with many families attending together. For them, it was an opportunity to discover Russian culture as a family.

«What matters especially to us is that the festival brought together not only people learning Russian, but also their families. We saw how genuinely interested Kenyan participants are in Russian culture. Events like this allow language to become more than just a subject to study: it becomes a way for people to communicate and learn about each other’s cultures», — said Vadim Zyubanov, Head of International Cooperation at TSPU’s Institute of Foreign Languages and International Cooperatio.

The festival’s educational programme continued with presentations by Russian universities. On the second day, the audience learned about study opportunities at ITMO University, The Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) and the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). Notably, the MAI presentation was delivered by a graduate of TSPU’s Open Education Centre in Kenya, who shared his personal experience of studying in Russia with fellow Kenyans.

Throughout the festival, visitors could attend intensive mini-lessons in Russian, interactive lectures, workshops on traditional Russian crafts and engaging traditional games.

The Russian language competition was a major intellectual highlight of the festival. Ten of the strongest participants advanced from the qualifying round to the final. In a challenging final round, they demonstrated a high level of Russian proficiency and strong communication skills. All winners and runners-up received special prizes.

TSPU extends its sincere gratitude to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Kenya for its assistance in organising the festival, and to the My History Foundation and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation for supporting educational initiatives in East Africa.

Although the «Discovering Russia» festival has come to an end, TSPU’s educational work in Kenya continues. The Open Education Centre in Nairobi remains active, offering free Russian language courses and organising events promoting Russian culture and opportunities to study in Russia.