This March, nine of Heritage’s Russian language students participated in the Olympiada of Spoken Russian. After travelling to George Mason University and participating in several categories, four students took home gold, three took home silver, one took home bronze, and one took home an honorable mention. They were accompanied and sponsored by Mrs. Spencer.

For weeks in and out of class, the nine students involved in the Olympiada studied and practiced for Russian speaking, reading, and culture. For Gabriella Gray (12), a level one Russian student, the Olympiada was interesting. “It was fun to hear all the other people speaking Russian,” Gray said. The speaking portion of the contest for level one involved students talking about themselves and their lives. For reading, students read a short passage in Russian and answered questions. Lastly, the culture portion of the event allowed students to show their knowledge of Russian writers and composers, geography, or crafts.

Shanelle Huff (11) is a level three Russian student and she won a gold medal. After participating in three Olympiadas, she is knowledgeable in the contest and the language. “From the previous ones, this was a little easier. They were doing a lot more and they were more orderly,” said Huff. Sarah Lyndsay (12) also won a gold medal, though this was her first Olympiada. “I was a little confused [when I won gold] because I wasn’t really sure how it worked…but I thought it was cool.

The Russian Olympiada is a time not only for a contest, but also a time to connect with fellow Russian students. Lyndsay said, “I was able to meet other people who were interested in Russian; it was a good social event.”