In 2024, the department celebrated its 60th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the inclusion of the Belarusian language in the university’s curriculum.
On 10 October 1964, the Rector of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute, Pyotr Ivanovich Yashcheritsyn, signed Order No. 2151 concerning the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute: “In accordance with Order No. 651 of the Ministry of Higher, Secondary, Specialised and Vocational Education of the BSSR dated 2 October 1964, I hereby order: the establishment of a Department of Russian Language at the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute.” Senior Lecturer Lidia Ivanovna Grigorovich, who worked at the department from 1964 to 1989, recalled that the first foreign students arrived in Belarus in 1961. Having completed the preparatory faculty of the Belarusian State University, they continued their studies in their chosen specialisations at various higher and secondary educational institutions in our republic. In 1962, students from Afghanistan, Cuba, Mongolia and African countries became first-year students at the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute. The number of foreign students increased every year.
By September 1964, it had become necessary to establish a Department of Russian as a Foreign Language. Its first staff members were those who had been working with the new cohort of students since 1962: G.I. Burova, N.V. Brazgovka, V.F. Lyakhovich, L.S. Moroz, T.M. Tankovich, as well as Russian language lecturers invited to join the staff in 1964: L.I. Bobrineva, L.V. Zinina, V.A. Kuzovleva, L.F. Rybalko, A.P. Fomina, M.I. Shurin. Over the years, the department was headed by enthusiasts of their profession: V.F. Lyakhovich, L.I. Grigorovich, T.M. Tankovich, A.A. Girutsky, T.A. Kuznetsova and others. The department’s veterans fondly recall those times when all lecturers from various universities in Minsk studied with interest and enthusiasm and successfully refined the methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language. Everyone learned from one another, attended their colleagues’ classes, and passionately discussed topical issues relating to their professional activities.
With the participation of members of the department, the Republican Methodological Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language was established, which was transformed in 2002 into the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language. A huge contribution to the association was made by the organisers of the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language (BPATRFL): A.V. Sannikova, S.I. Lebedinsky and I.E. Fedotova. Throughout the department’s history, highly qualified teachers have been training future specialists for the Republic of Belarus and other countries. Professional development, self-education and the refinement of professional skills are a long-standing tradition of the department. From 1968 onwards, for a number of years, the department’s lecturers were required to undertake further training at the Faculty of Professional Development at Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (PFUR), and honed their professional skills at the Pushkin Institute of the Russian Language. The lecturers are infinitely grateful to their colleagues from Russia and to representatives of the Embassy of the Russian Federation for their support in their work, the embassy’s events, and their willingness to help and support.
To this day, the tradition of learning from one another continues. Our lecturers undertake further training at the Republican Institute of Information Technology (RIIT), the Republican Institute of Higher Education (RIVSh), Belarusian State University (BSU), Minsk State Medical University (MSMU), Belarusian State Economic University (BSEU), Belarusian State Agrarian Technical University (BSATU), the Pedagogical University, the Military Academy and other higher education institutions in the Republic of Belarus. In this, the department staff are assisted by the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language (BPATRFL), of which many teachers are members. Thanks to this association, the department is involved in the activities of International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (MAPRYAL). The teaching of foreign students also utilizes the work experience of department staff in Algeria, Senegal, the USA, Cuba, England, China, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Afghanistan, France, Italy, Kampuchea, India, Vietnam, Mongolia, Syria, and other countries.
For their pedagogical work and fulfillment of international duty, our staff have been awarded certificates of commendation at various levels: from foreign universities, ministries, and embassies. For example, S.V. Komar was awarded a government award of Vietnam – an order. Graduates of our university who studied at the department include citizens of the Republic of Belarus and nearly 7,000 foreign trainees, students, PhD candidates, and interns from over 100 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Many of them have held and continue to hold responsible positions in their home countries. Here are some examples: Graduate Akande Karolina Duratoluwe worked as Deputy Minister of Road Transport of Nigeria; Bangoura Morlay was Deputy General Director of the Guinean Electrical Systems; Camara Moussa held the position of Director of a Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS) (Guinea); Mahato Upendra is Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Nepal, Honorary Foreign Citizen of Minsk, and First Vice-President of the International Association of Graduates of our university; Slim Deffara (Lebanon) is Honorary Consul; Nina Cabrera Domingo Antonio (Dominican Republic) is a diplomat; Nguyen Khiet is Director of an institute at the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences; Hassan Abdul Kadir Baba worked at one of Nigeria's leading universities and created an association of graduates of Belarusian universities in his country. For a number of years, the students' national association played an important role in organizing the lives of foreign citizens. Department teachers helped foreign students with issues related to studies, daily life, leisure, and preparing and conducting various events. For their mentoring work, many teachers have been awarded certificates from the university and the Minsk City Council for International Students.
Over 30 years ago, the department received a new name – the "Belarusian and Russian Languages" department – and began teaching the Belarusian language to university students. Today, Belarusian is taught by I.V. Savitskaya, L.A. Girutskaya, N.E. Petrova, E.P. Sakhonchik, K.M. Mitskevich, A. A. Mitskevich V.I. Ulasevich. Since the first days of introducing the Belarusian language into the university curriculum, the department has collaborated with the Institute of Linguistics and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, which has raised the educational, methodological, and scientific work on the subject to a qualitatively new level. This was also facilitated by the support of the faculty and university administration in equipping the department. The department's educational resources include a methodological library and computer labs.
Today, the educational process of the department is supported by leading specialists I.Y. Bordyugova, T.K. Vyskubova, specialist Y.M. Moroz, V.A. Vakhovich, and computer operator K.Y. Konoshevich. The department staff, comprising more than 30 full-time employees, actively participates in improving the methodology of teaching Belarusian and Russian. Many programs, textbooks, and methodological developments prepared by the department staff are used in similar departments at universities across the country. The department also hosts colleagues from other universities for internships, thus sharing its developments. The department staff were at the origins of language testing in the Republic of Belarus, so an important area of scientific and methodological work for a number of years has been cooperation with the Republican Institute of Knowledge Control and the improvement of materials offered to schoolchildren and university applicants.
Scientific Directions of the Department: Research into the level of students' skills development in all types of speech activity according to the stage and profile of education, and their compliance with standards; development of theory and practice for creating curricula, test materials, and teaching aids considering the goals and objectives of education; improvement of the educational process.
Due to changing circumstances in the field of educational services, the department began developing methodological materials tailored to specific language proficiency levels, aimed at citizens from neighboring countries (a number of manuals have been prepared). The specifics of preparing foreign citizens in preparatory courses require constant improvement of the educational process and individual work with students. A.G. Belaya, N.M. Bolbas, S.V. Sabaida, V.V. Bely, T.A. Lazareva, and many others work actively in this area. Department teachers were among the first to introduce the special course "Methods of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language" and implemented the transition to teaching Russian considering the students' specializations. Department staff prepared the first manuals for developing speech skills based on texts related to students' majors, literature, and social science disciplines. L.I. Grigorovich, G.I. Burova, L.I. Bobrineva, M.I. Shurin, and many others worked on the preparation and publication of educational, methodological, and scientific literature. Their traditions were continued by G.A. Akhmerova, L.V. Bogdanovich, N.V. Devochka, Y.A. Smirnova, T.S. Makatrova, S.A. Zherbina, V.N. Yudina, and other department members working with foreign students. We can be proud of the publication of a 4-part textbook on the Belarusian language edited by L.A. Girutskaya. This is the result of the work of our large and friendly team. Among the works of department teachers, the following can be noted: "Dictionary of New Words of the Belarusian Language" (co-authored by Assoc. Prof. V.I. Ulasevich), "Grammatical Dictionary of the Noun" (co-authored by Assoc. Prof. V.I. Ulasevich), "Belarusian Language. Complex Sentences: Theory, Practical Tasks, Tests" (I.V. Savitskaya), "Religious Dictionary of the Old Belarusian Language" (I.V. Budzko), "Poetics of Ales Razanau: Between Meditation and Ratio" (A.S. Ivashchenko). Over a number of years, author teams from our department have been engaged in meticulous and very responsible work preparing literature for university applicants. The fruits of these labors include publications such as "Belarusian Language: Theory, Tests for Applicants and Schoolchildren," which has gone through several editions (co-authored by N.V. Gavrosh), "Linguistic Units and Context" (N.V. Gavrosh). "The Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language" is a unique fundamental work that includes the vocabulary of medieval manuscript and printed sources; similar research is conducted in all Slavic countries. We are proud that a co-author is the Head of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages, I.V. Budzko. This is just a small part of the scientific and methodological developments that reflect the experience of Belarusian language teachers: I.V. Budzko, N.V. Gavrosh, V.I. Ulasevich, I.V. Savitskaya, N.E. Petrova, K.M. Mitskevich, and others. Detailed information is available in the relevant section of the website.
More than 50 years ago, a preparatory department for citizens of the Republic of Belarus was opened at our university. Created to prepare workers, rural youth, and discharged military personnel for entrance exams and university studies, the unit still performs an important educational function today, and the teachers of our department did everything possible for the education of citizens of the Republic of Belarus. I.I. Tretyak, L.S. Moroz, E.S. Novikova, and others could tell many interesting stories about this aspect of work. In 1990, a specialized secondary school-lyceum was opened at what was then still the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute. In those years, the teachers of the Russian Language Department provided professional assistance to the new staff. And today, department staff participate in many events held at the lyceum: as jury members at lyceum student conferences, and as members of the admissions committee for final exams. Department teachers also taught classes in specialized lyceum classes created in 1995. At one point, this involved cooperation with more than 50 educational institutions, amounting to about 120 classes, or nearly 3,000 students. Our teachers conducted overview lectures, consultations for students and teachers, as well as test assessments. An important stage of work throughout the years of the department's existence was the participation of staff members in the work of the university admissions committee.
Most Significant Publications of the Department:
Monographs:
Electronic Educational and Methodological Complexes (EEMC):
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Ideological and Educational Work at the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages is mainly aimed at the successful socio-cultural adaptation of foreign citizens, as well as fostering love for their native language and culture among Belarusian students.
One of the main vectors of work is civic and patriotic education, within which special attention is paid to familiarizing students with the state ideology, symbols, and heroic past of the Belarusian people. Thematic informational and mentoring hours dedicated to significant dates such as Independence Day and Victory Day are regularly held. An important element of this process is excursion activities, for example, visiting the Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War and the Khatyn Memorial Complex. In working with foreign citizens, it is very important to show interest in the history and culture of their home countries. Therefore, during their participation in events of this cycle, parallels are constantly drawn with historical events that occurred in their native countries and left a similarly deep mark on national memory.
Alongside the patriotic direction, the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages actively implements the tasks of spiritual, moral, and aesthetic education. Traditionally, the department organizes the following events: a Creative Competition for the best work in the Belarusian language, a Student Humanities Conference, an Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language "Russian Language – Path to Friendship and Mutual Understanding," the International Student Scientific and Practical Conference "Language – Society – Culture," as well as group visits to museums, theaters, and art exhibitions in Minsk.
Within the framework of legal education, our university holds meetings with law enforcement representatives, regular talks and discussion platforms on the prevention of unlawful behavior, as well as familiarizing students with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.
Multicultural education at the department is built on the principles of mutual respect and tolerance, embodied in the holding of Festivals of National Cultures, where students have the opportunity to present the traditions of their homeland, thereby strengthening intercultural dialogue and friendly ties between peoples. A significant and memorable event – the celebration of Navruz – is held annually at the "Politechnik" sanatorium.
Social and pedagogical support and assistance in initial adaptation occupy a significant place in the teachers' work. To this end, consultations on the rules of stay for foreign citizens in the Republic of Belarus, ethical talks about norms of behavior at the university and dormitory, as well as events promoting a healthy lifestyle and crime prevention are conducted.
Thus, the main educational activity of the department is focused on the integration of foreign students into the educational and social space of the Republic of Belarus, which is achieved through a combination of the educational process with various forms of extracurricular activities.
Today, the educational and support staff of our department play an important role in organizing the educational process for foreign students.
We are grateful to everyone who has been with us throughout these years. And no matter the weather, no matter the mood, every day in the classroom the friendly voice of our teachers sounded, sounds, and will continue to sound: "Hello!" And the lesson will begin.
