The centre, set up with the participation of the Foundation for Social and Cultural Initiatives, which Mrs Medvedeva heads, will operate at the university’s Russian Languages and Culture Department. The First Lady called the centre’s opening one of the important events taking place as part of the Year of Russian Culture and Language in Italy and the Year of Italian Culture and Language in Russia.
The centre will carry out research and educational work and provide all-round support to public organisations and research centres engaged in studying Russia’s cultural and historical heritage and the Russian language. It will help to cement ties between major culture and arts establishments in both countries, Mrs Medvedeva said, noting too the importance of the centre’s activities among young people, in creating new opportunities for contacts between Russian and Italian youth, and helping to organise youth exchanges.
The First Lady visited an exhibition of works by Russian artist Sergei Andriaka, the organisation of which was one of the centre’s first initiatives.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeyev, Italian Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini, and Mayor of Venice Giorgio Orsoni.
The Ca’ Foscari University of Venice was founded in 1868 as Italy’s first business school, but today it is better known as one of the country’s best universities for studying foreign languages. Forty languages are now taught at the university, with Russian occupying a prominent place: the university’s Russian department is considered a leading one in Italy. The university currently has about 18,000 students, with around 600 studying at the Russian department, where they are taught by leading scholars in Russian studies.