The "Learn Russian from an Early Age" project has begun in the Dimitar Miladinov Primary School in the Macedonian capital of Skopje.
Children in the school will now begin learning Russian as a second foreign language from the very first school year to the fifth grade. The children will be taught Russian by Russian native-speaker teachers for two hours a week. The tuition will take place according to a framework approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Macedonia.
The project is the result of a memorandum on cooperation signed by Macedonian Education Minister Abdulakim Ademi and "Ozaryeniye" Director Elena Demchik.
"Ozaryeniye" is a local NGO aimed at promoting the study of the Russian language in Macedonia. The organisation is supported by the Russian Embassy in Macedonia, which also supports the plans to begin teaching Russian in the Dimitar Miladinov Primary School in Skopje. Children at the school will study not only the Russian language, but also Russia's rich cultural heritage.
All parents, whether they be Macedonian in origin or Russian expats living in Skopje, are invited to register their children for the classes.
