International students at the "Berega" competition
In the spring of 2026, SPbGASU students successfully competed in creative competitions dedicated to Russian and foreign languages. Participants demonstrated a high level of language proficiency, artistic talent, and creativity, winning prizes and special awards.
Success at the International Russian Speech Festival "Berega"
On 23–24 April, Volgograd State Technical University hosted the X International Russian Language Festival for Foreign Students "Berega"— one of the most prestigious competitions among international students at Russian universities. Representatives from over 40 institutions across the country participated in the anniversary festival, with over 300 applications submitted.
International students of the SPbGASU Preparatory Department took part in absentia in three categories: "Artistic recitation", "Vocals" and "Video presentation".
The winner in the Artistic Recitation category was Hoang Ngoc Hu (Vietnam), who expressively performed M. Yu. Lermontov’s poem “Prayer”.
In the Vocals category, the creative team of the SPbGASU Preparatory Department took second place with their performance of the song "Katyusha". The team included Keita Tenin (Mali), Katso Tuto Jordan Puleng (Botswana), Ernest Niyonkuru (Burundi), Medard Mahamat Mbantodjimi (Chad), Hoang Ngoc Hu (Vietnam), Esmanur Ozturk (Turkey), Sun Canyang, Li Hongbo, Zhao Yajuan and He Lanmu (China).
First place in the Video Presentation category was won by Wang Kexin, Wang Shuo, and Li Mingke (China). The participants prepared a video about St Petersburg.
Prize-winning places in the competition "April Readings in Foreign Languages 2026"
On 20 May, the final of the V All-Russian creative competition with international participation, "April Readings in Foreign Languages 2026," was held. It was organized by the Scientific and Educational Center for Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication of the St Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical University in conjunction with NSO Lingvapharm.
Students and trainees of the SPbGASU Preparatory Department represented the university with dignity in various nominations.
Daria Alekseeva (a third-year student at the Faculty of Civil Engineering) took second place in the Prose category with her reading of an excerpt from Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre." The jury and audience praised her impeccable diction, expressive articulation, and precise intonation.
Third place in the Song category was taken by a student team consisting of students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Evgeniya Dedeshko, Alina Mozina (both fourth year) and Maksim Urvachev (first year), Faculty of Architecture Tatyana Lazareva (fourth year), and a student of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Municipal Services (FEEMS) Aleksandr Vasiliev (first year), who performed the composition "Time Is Running Out" by the Muse band.
Another participant in the “Song” nomination was a group of foreign students from the Preparatory Department. The guys sang the song “Mama” in Russian to the music of Valery Gavrilin and lyrics by Albina Shulgina. A heartfelt performance allowed the participants to reach the finals of the competition and take fourth place.
First-year student of the Faculty of Architecture Platon Kozlov performed the song "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles and took fourth place.
In the Poetry category, Aleksandr Katsyuba (third-year student at the FEEMS) recited William Blake's "The Poison Tree" in English. He was awarded third place for his vivid rendering of the poem's emotional imagery.
Victories in the International Creative Competition named after L. A. Verbitskaya
In May, eight foreign students from the Preparatory Department and SPbGASU took part in the International Creative Competition named after L.A. Verbitskaya, organized by St Petersburg State University.
This year, the competition brought together over 400 participants from 77 countries. Contestants recited poems and performed songs in Russian.
Setyo Purnomo Putro (Indonesia) presented Innokenty Annensky's poem "Among the Worlds," Jean-Louinor Samuel Maunon Agbohinu (Benin) recited Evgeny Evtushenko's "Torero," Herry Widjaya (Indonesia) and Wana Musumadi (Zambia) recited Sergey Esenin's poem "Birch," Daniel Chukwuemeka (Nigeria) chose Nikolay Glazkov's "Hymn to the Clown," and Nakachwa Fauzia (Uganda) recited Robert Rozhdestvensky's poem "If You Exist, Be the First." All participants demonstrated a high level of proficiency in Russian and striking acting skills.
Two representatives from SPbGASU achieved particular success. José Enrique Pérez Aldás (Ecuador), a student in the Preparatory Department, received a special prize from the professional jury for his performance of Yuri Levitansky's poem "The Leaves Were Wet Under the Window..." and for a graphic-style animated video based on it.
Noor Muhammad Ikhda Prasetia (Indonesia), a master's student in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, won the Best Performance of a Lyrical Song award with his heartfelt rendition of the song "Cranes."
In their letters of gratitude, the competition organizers acknowledge the high level of professionalism demonstrated by the teachers of the SPbGASU Department of Intercultural Communication in preparing students.
Congratulations to the students and trainees of the SPbGASU Preparatory Department on their successful performances at prestigious competitions. We wish you new creative achievements, inspiration, and continued success in your study of Russian and foreign languages!
