Churkina Larisa Sergeevna

In public diplomacy, quick solutions rarely work—endurance, consistency, and the ability to listen to another culture are important here. This is exactly how Larisa Churkina, laureate of the “Leaders of Public Diplomacy” competition, organizes her work, for whom promoting the Russian language has long become not just a profession, but a matter of life.

Larisa Churkina became the winner of the competition with the project of the State Institute of the Russian Language named after. A. S. Pushkin“Ambassadors of the Russian language in the world”. This is one of the largest and most sustainable initiatives in the field of linguistic and cultural diplomacy, which has been implemented since 2015 and brings together young volunteers, teachers and experts in Russia and abroad.

The goal of the project is to create effective mechanisms for the volunteer participation of young people in promoting the Russian language and education in Russian, as well as in preserving the cultural heritage of Russia. Through educational and cultural programs, the project creates a sustainable interest in Russian culture, literature, science and modern humanitarian knowledge both in Russia and abroad.

The geography of the project is impressive. “Ambassadors of the Russian language in the world” work in neighboring countries - from Armenia and Belarus to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as in foreign countries: Serbia, India, China, Iran, Vietnam, Cuba, Portugal, Ecuador and other countries. The project is being implemented in the regions of Russia - from Moscow to the Chechen Republic, as well as on the sites of the largest children's centers in the country: Artek, Orlyonok, Ocean and Smena. A separate area is participation in major international events, including the World Games of Young Compatriots.

Over the years of implementation, the project team has conducted dozens of educational and cultural programs for schoolchildren and students, organized large-scale cultural and educational events and managed to strengthen interest in the Russian language in the international environment. In a broader sense, the project promotes the building of friendly and partnership relations between countries, working in the logic of “soft power” and humanitarian dialogue.

In addition to the flagship project, Larisa Churkina develops educational and cultural initiatives in the field of teaching foreign languages, participates in international humanitarian and educational programs, and is also a member of the expert council of the Commission for Interaction with Youth of the World Coordinating Council of Russians compatriots.

For Larisa Churkina herself, leadership is not a status or a position. “Being a leader means being able to connect people, meanings and cultures, take responsibility, maintain dialogue even in difficult periods and serve as a bridge of mutual understanding between countries and people,” she says.

In the future, Larisa Churkina is interested in expanding international cooperation in the field of education and enlightenment, linguistic and cultural diplomacy, intercultural communication, youth and humanitarian projects, as well as in the development of educational exchange programs - those very points of contact where trust is formed between societies.

Contacts

Phone: +33 7 67 19 33 68

E-mail: larisa.ch@bk.ru