Non-Native Speakers of Russian, Studying at ASU, Celebrate New Year Together

As usual, the celebration at the Preliminary Training Unit for Foreign Citizens of Astrakhan State University was bright and memorable.

The Grand Hall of the ASU main building brought together students from countries of Africa, Middle East, Latin America, from China and ex-Soviet republics. Wearing bright ethnic costumes, they performed dances of peoples of the world, sang Oy, Moroz, Moroz (eng. Oh, Frost, Frost) and recited New Year’s poems in Russian.

Members of multinational groups, living in one dormitory, had become friends long ago and welcomed the items of each other with frantic applause. That day, they wanted not only to demonstrate the linguistic competencies they’d mastered but also to tell the audience about cultures of their countries.

The students have their first-semester exams ahead, and Natalia Sannikova, the Head of the Preliminary Training Unit for Foreign Citizens, reminded them that it’s still too early to relax. Nevertheless, their first test — on learning Russian New Year’s traditions and demonstrating friend support — was successfully passed that evening!