Students from overseas honored at Russia’s famous summer camp in Crimea

An international school contest has wrapped up on the Black Sea coast

Russia has held an international contest for schoolchildren at Artek, its most famous summer camp on the Black Sea in Crimea. The contest, dubbed ‘The Big Break,’ a phrase used in Russian to refer to the long recess, was held as part of a wide array of events marking the Year of the Family in Russia.

Nearly 200 high-school students from countries such as China, the UK, the US, France, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Syria took part in the contest at Artek. The foreign finalists of the ‘The Big Break’ will be given an opportunity to enrol in the top Russian universities to continue their education, the organizers said.

The 25 foreign finalists met with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko on Tuesday. The vice premier said that Russia wants to attract foreign students and encourage the learning of its language and culture, as well as deliver on the educational goals set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Bringing up balanced, patriotic and socially responsible individuals is of special significance [to Russia] and is one of the national priorities set by the head of state,” Chernyshenko said, explaining the importance of the contest. More than 700 schoolchildren, from fifth to seventh grade and from across Russia, also took part in the event.

‘The Big Break’ annual contest was launched in 2020 by the Russian government. Foreign students have participated since 2022.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin designated 2024 as the ‘Year of the Family,’ aiming to promote state policies related to the preservation of what the Russian leader has described as traditional family values, such as having many children.

During an address to the Federal Assembly in February, President Putin said that “a large family” should become “the norm, the philosophy of social life, the guideline of the entire strategy of the state.”

Artek in Crimea was founded in 1925 as a small summer tent camp. Over the course of a century, it has transformed into a complex of nine camps with its own educational technologies and cultural traditions. Over 40,000 children spent their summer holidays in Artek in 2023.