June 4 was the second day of the Festival “I Love Russia”. Pupils from Muguet Primary School (Abidjan) took part in master classes on urban landscape and traditional Russian crafts.

The children with interest looked at watercolors with views of Russian cities, got acquainted with unusual for them architecture. But most of all pupils were waiting when they could take brushes in their hands and create their own painting on a spoon or a matryoshka doll. The products turned out to be very unusual in color and patterns, as the children brought the artistic ideas of their people into the painting.

The master class ended with a tasting of Tula gingerbread and presentation of gifts. The schoolchildren gave interviews to journalists and shared their impressions about the meeting with Russian teachers (Yulia Butko, Lyudmila Titova, Danil Svyatokho, Elizaveta Antipova) and their new experience of painting Russian toys.

In parallel, at UMECI University for students and their parents there was a lecture by Elena Boychuk about the work of the Open Education Center and about the prospects of studying in Russia, in particular in the universities of Yaroslavl, in various fields of study.

On June 5, the “I Love Russia” festival closed at UMECI University in Abidjan.

Its versatile program offered not only cultural events, but also educational and enlightening ones. Thus, on the third and final day there was a lecture in French by Prof. Elena Boychuk on rhythm in a prose text. The lecture was attended by more than 100 Ivorian students and teachers who showed genuine interest in modern philological research. The festival marathon ended with the screening of the video performance with subtitles in French “Station «Remember»” by the theater-studio of YSPU “Key”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The closing ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in Cote d’Ivoire Alexey Saltykov, the President of the Methodist University of Gnalega Macagnon Rene and the administration of the university.

Another grand event in Côte d’Ivoire, organized by the teachers of YSPU, is over. We thank the whole team of our university, everyone who participated in the preparation and realization of the Festival. We thank our partners in Abidjan, who are united thanks to our events and presence in the Republic. We thank the Russian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire and, of course, the My Story Foundation, which made this Festival possible!