(June 21, 2016) “Our country is usually associated with wellness, art, taste, culture and sophistication. Italy has always been viewed by the Russians as a model of equilibrium, elegance and joy and an example to be followed.” As stated by Professor Giuseppe Lo Porto, director of the Office of Education Consulate General of Italy in Moscow in an interview with ICoN, (Italian Culture on the Net). He commented the relations between Italy and Russia, stressing that “the contribution of Italians over the centuries towards developing architecture, art, manufacturing technologies does not go unnoticed. The ‘Made in Italy’ brand here in Russia guarantees quality and style.” It is also an opportunity to present the latest initiatives of the Moscow Education Office for promoting and disseminating Italian culture and language. “In Russia – continues Lo Porto – our diplomatic mission has implemented P.R.I.A. programme several years ago (Diffusion of the Italian language in Russia) and, to date, 150 educational institutions have joined from across Russia, from St. Petersburg all the way to Vladivostok”. A participation that is growing thanks to the “renewed interest in regional and federal institutions,” according to the manager who recalled how the “official meetings have intensified during which the groundwork for L2 Italian language courses were laid out over the past year, approved by the Federal Ministry programme”. Italian “was included in the programme of the federal school Olympics whose final phase was held in April in Vladivostok.” It is a constant effort whose results have been exhibited through events such as “Festival of the Italian Regions” and “Let it be… poetry” promoted by the Education Office of the Italian Consulate. The first of these, according to Lo Porto, “involved Russian schools who ‘adopted’ a region of Italy and presented its folkloristic aspects, involving 35 institutions in total”. However, “we bet on the competition ‘Let it be… poetry’ with the Demetrio Volcic journalism prize”. It is a competition based on romantic Italian and Russian poetry that has “involved 15 Russian institutions, and 15 Italian institutions where the Russian language is taught. The closing event in Moscow has been a festival of poetry in which young Russians and Italians could recite excerpts in their respective mother tongues.” Two important initiatives supported by ICoN (Italian Culture on the Net) and Eduitalia. “The professionalism and the ability to attract people to an idea does not come from incentives- concludes Lo Porto- and the possibility to offer our young winners online language courses and scholarships or grants to strengthen the concept of teamwork”. (Red)
