Russkiy Mir Foundation

About the Foundation

On June 21, 2007, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree on the creation of the Russkiy Mir Foundation (Фонд "Русский мир"). The decree defines two main goals of the Foundation: to popularize the Russian language and to support programs for studying the Russian language abroad. The Foundation is financed from the budget of the Russian Federation and, in addition, receives voluntary donations. It reports to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education.

The name of the foundation is based on the concept of the “Russian world.” There are several definitions of this concept. According to one of the meanings, Eastern European countries belong to the “Russian world.” According to the Foundation’s official web-page, the “Russian world” denotes not only Russian citizens or compatriots living abroad, but also all those who speak Russian, are interested in Russian culture and concerned about its future.

Activities of the Foundation

The main task of the Foundation is to popularize the Russian language abroad. To this end, it supports various organizations as well as individuals who teach Russian language and literature, study Russian history, promote Russian culture, participate in the formation of a favorable public opinion about modern Russia, etc. The Foundation also supports the Russian-language media abroad, activities of which are in line with the Kremlin’s goals. The Foundation actively cooperates with the Russian Diaspora, as well as with the Russian Orthodox Church and other denominations.

The Foundation implements various educational programs, projects, international actions and events, competitions and Olympiads, aimed at increasing interest in the Russian language, culture and history.

In 2020, the Foundation approved 137 grant applications for projects aimed at promoting the Russian language, as well as organizing cultural and humanitarian projects. In the same year, the Russkiy Mir Assembly was held in a video format, in which about 15 thousand people took part. In addition, there was a significant increase in interest in distance courses of the Russian language.

At this stage, the Professor of the Russian World Program is being actively developed through which educational programs for students and teachers of foreign educational institutions will be implemented.

Heads of the Foundation

A chairperson and members of the Board of Trustees, which is the highest governing body of the Foundation, are appointed by the President of the Russian Federation. Lyudmila Verbitskaya has been the Chairperson of the Board in 2010-2019. In April 2021, Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Board has four other members, among them is the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.

The Foundation is headed by the Management Board, whose chairman, deputies and members are appointed by the President of Russia. The Chairman of the Management Board is Vyacheslav Nikonov (Chairman of the Committee on Education and Science in the State Duma of the VII convocation). In addition to Nikonov, the Management Board has five other members.

Vladimir Kochin holds the position of the Executive Director of the Foundation.

In 2021, a new structural unit was created in the Foundation - the Supervisory Board. The Board is chaired by Vladimir Tolstoy, the Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation. The Board comprises 15 other members, including Hilarion Alfeyev (Metropolitan of the Moscow Patriarchate), Igor Maslov (Head of the Directorate for Interregional and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries of the Russian Presidential Administration), Yevgeny Primakov (Head of Rossotrudnichestvo), Aleksey Filatov (Head of the Directorate for Cross Border Cooperation of the Russian Presidential Administration), and others.

Structure of the Foundation

The Foundation implements its activities through a Russian center, an international cultural project aimed at popularizing the Russian language and culture. It is a resource center, educational system, creative and communicative platform completely tailored to a specific country.

The Russian centers are designed to ensure access to information, implement educational programs and courses for different categories of users, organize creative events, as well as promote scientific, educational, and informal intercultural communication.

On the official web-page, a catalog of the Russian centers lists 50 countries, including Georgia.

The Foundation also has its own TV and radio channels, broadcasting programs on Russian language, culture, art, literature and history.

Review of the Foundation Activities

The Russkiy Mir Foundation is one of the most powerful tools of the Russian soft power. In 2019, the Media Development Foundation (MDF) published a study based on the information available on the Foundation's official website. According to the research, the Foundation “mobilizes the Russian Diaspora in different countries through educational or cultural projects and tries to influence neighboring countries with these diaspora “tentacles.” The Foundation distributes Russian policy in various countries through Russian money and tries to turn the “existence” of the Russian diaspora abroad into Russian “influence.” Cultural-educational events are a kind of facade, and the real goal is to influence public opinion so that it is consistent with the political goals of the Kremlin.”

The Foundation Office in the Tskhinvali Region

The opening of a Russian center of the Russkiy Mir in the Tskhinvali region was planned in 2019. The relevant agreement was signed on November 4 of the same year, during the 13th Assembly of the Foundation.

On October 28, 2020, the Russkiy Mir Foundation opened a Russian center in the Tskhinvali region. The center was established in the A. Tibilov “state” University of South Ossetia, at the initiative of the Rector of the same University, Vadim Tadeev. The Rossotrudnichestvo office and its Head, Sergey Skvortsov, as well as the Russian “ambassador,” Marat Kulakhmetov, took an active part in the opening of the Russian center.

An official presentation of the Russian center of the Russkiy Mir was held on February 26, 2021. Julieta Ostaeva, the Associate Professor of the Russian Language Department of the so-called “state” University of South Ossetia, was appointed as the Head of the Russian center.