The Role of the Russian Language in the Dialogue of Civilizations and Intercultural Cooperation

The Interregional Scientific and Practical Conference “The Role of the Russian Language in the Dialogue of Civilizations and Intercultural Cooperation” was held at Leningrad State University named after A.S. Pushkin. The event was organized by the State Budgetary Institution of the Leningrad Region, the “House of Friendship of the Leningrad Region,” with the support of the Committee for Local Self-Government, Interethnic, and Interfaith Relations of the Leningrad Region, and Leningrad State University.

Participants included faculty members from Mariupol State University named after A.I. Kuindzhi, Donetsk State University, Moscow State Linguistic University, faculty and students from Leningrad State University, representatives of ethnocultural public organizations of the region, Russian language and literature teachers, and staff of district administrations from relevant departments and committees in Vsevolozhsky, Kingiseppsky, Kirovsky, Lomonosovsky, Luzhsky, Podporozhsky, Priozersky, Slantsevsky, Tikhvinsky, Tosnensky municipal districts, and Sosnovoborsky urban district.

The plenary session of the conference was moderated by Elena Yermolina, Deputy Director of the House of Friendship of the Leningrad Region and Chair of the Regional Branch of the All-Russian Public-State Organization “Assembly of Peoples of Russia” for the Leningrad Region.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by University Rector Grigory Dvas, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Local Self-Government, Interethnic, and Interfaith Relations of the Leningrad Region Andrey Panov, and via video conference, State Duma Deputy Svetlana Zhurova and Chair of the Commission on Interethnic and Interfaith Relations and Migration Issues of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Vladimir Zorin. All speakers highlighted the significant role of the Russian language as a means of intercultural communication among the peoples of Russia and as one of the essential unifying elements of the Russian civil nation:

• “The topic of the conference aligns with the objectives of the Strategy of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation. The Russian language, as the state language of our country and a means of intercultural communication among the peoples residing in it, is one of the crucial pillars of the Russian civil nation. The role of the Russian language is particularly vital for our historical regions that have rejoined the broader Russian family,” noted Vladimir Zorin.
• “The issue you are addressing today is of utmost importance. It is essentially a defense of the Russian language. The conference represents an exchange of experience in studying the Russian language both within the country and in neighboring countries. It involves people who love the Russian language abroad, those willing to learn and support it. This is critically important today, as the number of Russian speakers is decreasing annually. We are losing entire nations, Ukraine being an example. In such circumstances, we must defend our great Russian language and our Russian culture,” emphasized Svetlana Zhurova.

The plenary session featured presentations by Andrey Panov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Local Self-Government, Interethnic, and Interfaith Relations of the Leningrad Region; Irina Maslova, Candidate of Philological Sciences and Head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language at the Institute of International Educational Programs of Moscow State Linguistic University; and Sergey Luksha, Director of the Leningrad Institute for Family and Social Conflict Studies.

The conference included two thematic sessions:

• Session 1: “The Russian Language – Modern Challenges” focused on contemporary trends, new formations, avoiding Anglicisms, the Russian language in a multicultural environment, traditions, and new realities. It was moderated by Olga Meshcheryakova, Doctor of Philology and Researcher at the Russian Language and Literature Research Center of Leningrad State University.
• Session 2: “Russian as a Foreign Language in the Context of Migrant Adaptation: Labor, Academic, and Children with Migrant Histories” covered teaching Russian to academic migrants, innovative technologies in education, novel approaches, methodologies, and experiences in working with bilinguals and children with migrant backgrounds. It was moderated by Olga Uskova, Doctor of Philology, Professor of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language at Moscow State Linguistic University, and Director of the Testing Center for Foreign Citizens.

Both sessions featured insightful presentations by linguists, philologists, and practicing teachers. Konstantin Manerko, Deputy Principal for Educational Work and Russian Language and Literature Teacher at Novogorelovskaya School (Lomonosovsky District, Leningrad Region), shared his experience in Session 2 with a report titled “Effective Educational Practices for Working with Non-Native Speaking Students in General Education Schools.” Valeria Glukhovskaya, a Russian language and literature teacher from Sosnovy Bor Secondary School No. 1, presented her report titled “The Russian Language – Modern Challenges” during Session 1.

Before the conference, the university lobby hosted a poster exhibition “Speaking Russian is Trendy” organized by the Committee for Local Self-Government, Interethnic, and Interfaith Relations of the Leningrad Region. The conference hall also featured a book exhibition from the library of the House of Friendship of the Leningrad Region, showcasing fairy tales, stories, and methodological guides authored by individuals of various nationalities in Russian. Participants were also offered a guided visit to the All-Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin and the Memorial Lyceum Museum.