Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

The Russian Information and Cultural Center (RICC) in Baku held a big gathering of the mega-project "Cities of Russia" on November 19.

The project organized by the Russian Embassy, the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Azerbaijan, the Russian community of Azerbaijan, and the Association of Teachers of Russian language educational institutions of Azerbaijan was started in May of this year.

The on-going project involves more than 30 teams in secondary schools in Azerbaijan, and intends to familiarize students with life in over 40 Russian cities.

The project aims not only to increase the interest of Azerbaijani young people in Russian culture, history, traditions, architecture, and modern achievements, but to acquaint them with the cultural, educational, and economical cooperation taking place between Azerbaijani and Russian regions.

To the attendees delight, Azerbaijani school pupils exhibited bright and beautiful displays of Russian cities and Russian-style handmade crafts at the event.

"Today, we are setting forward almost a two-year-long exciting journey to many Russian cities. Internet allows you to meet and make friends with your peers in Russia, even to hold different events," Head of Rossotrudnichestvo in Azerbaijan Valentin Denisov said.

A concert program was held within the framework of the event. Young artists of Gunay children's theater, choreography students of the Russian Cultural Center operating in the Russian community of Azerbaijan, pupils of Baku orphanage № 3, and others recited poems about Russia, sang songs in Azerbaijani and Russian, and performed Azerbaijani and Russian folk dances.

The project was first presented on May 22, 2013 at the RICC and continues through March 2014. The teaching staff and pupils and students of secondary and higher educational institutions of Azerbaijan are invited to participate.