Regional Studies and Cultural Immersion: How Mongolian Students Study Russia through Irkutsk Museums

Regional Studies and Cultural Immersion: How Mongolian Students Study Russia through Irkutsk Museums

Students fr om several dozen countries study at the preparatory department of INRTU, learn Russian language and basic profile subjects necessary for further study at the main programs of the university. Nevertheless, there are other types of programs. For example, a group of students from the Mongolian State University of Education is currently going through traineeship at the preparatory department.

Their academic program includes such subjects as methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language, Russian literature, development of oral and written Russian speech, a number of subjects in English and many others. One of the key disciplines of their program is Russian regional studies.

As part of the course, students study not only geography, traditions and customs of the peoples of Russia, history of the country, culture in the form of theoretical classes, but also actively visit museums in Irkutsk, wh ere they get acquainted with the rich heritage of our region.

The first place they visited was the Irkutsk Regional Museum of Local Lore - one of the oldest museums in Siberia, founded in 1782. In the halls of the museum the students saw ethnographic expositions devoted to the indigenous peoples of the Baikal region - Buryats, Evenks, Tofalars; they saw numerous archaeological findings and got acquainted with historical sections telling about the development of Siberia.

Another highlight was a visit to the Victor Bronstein Gallery, one of the largest private art collections outside the Urals. Here the Mongolian students were able to familiarize themselves with the contemporary art of Siberia and the East. They could see the works of artists from China, Korea and Mongolia. They visited exhibitions of Russian and foreign authors.

For students who will become Russian language teachers in their home country in the future, such trips are not just fun, but an important part of their professional training. Language learning is not only about grammar and vocabulary, but also about immersion in the environment, getting to know the culture and traditions. Moreover, thanks to such city tours, students will be able to return home not only with quality knowledge, but also with vivid impressions of Russia.