To mark its 25th anniversary, Expolangues will be welcoming the Russian Federation as its guest of honour. For this great festival of multilingualism, visitors will have the privilege of discovering or rediscovering the language, the culture and the folklore of a country with a rich history.

When science and languages meet
Just fifty years ago, on 4 October 1957, Russia surprised the entire planet by launching the first artificial satellite into space. Sputnik 1 ("fellow-traveller" or "satellite" in Russian) was an outstanding technological exploit which, in the middle of the Cold War, announced openly to the United States its conquest of space! Today, the Expolangues trade show will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sputnik, which made Russian the first language of communication in space…

Learning Russian in France
Russian, often regarded as a rare and exotic language, is attracting increased interest in secondary schools and higher education institutions. With 14,245 students, of whom 12,777 are in state schools, Russian is the fifth language studied in France’s secondary schools, far ahead of Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. The learning of Russian as a third language has already taken the place of German in the past two years. The number of language exchange visits organised each year – 62 in 2006 alone – demonstrates the dynamism of Russian teaching in France. The enthusiasm for Russian is also highly visible in higher education and every year sees the opening of new Russian courses in the departments of Applied Modern Languages and Foreign Languages, Literatures and Civilisations. Apart from the language centres, French universities offer an increasing choice of courses in Russian. A large number of Russian universities and other higher education institutions will be taking part in the 25th edition of Expolangues to present to the public the full range of academic and practical courses on offer in their country.

Russian, a passport to employment
At a time when knowledge of English is a necessity, possessing skills in a second or a third foreign language gives the job-seeker greater competitive edge in the labour market. While many students still opt for a "classic" language combination (with German, Spanish or Italian as their second foreign language), some are striking out with languages regarded as rare, such as Russian, Chinese, Arabic, etc. The growth of its trade and its opening up to the rest of the world has made the Russian Federation a highly attractive country. Knowledge of Russian has now become a major asset for young people about to enter the professional world. Visitors will have the opportunity of being introduced to Russian through various activities organised during the trade show (Classroom, Language Kiosk, etc.).

Discover a country, discover a culture
Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok…are just three of the evocative names of Russian cities that call up a rich historical heritage. Speaking a foreign language also gives intimate access to the culture and history of the country. Expolangues will offer visitors the opportunity to discover Russian folklore through events and activities proposed by the Russian Federation and the Russian Cultural Centre. The programme includes folk and classical music concerts by Russian musicians and performers, tasting sessions with traditional products, the screening of documentaries, a cycle of lectures, etc. The mayors and representatives of ten Russian cities (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Astrakhan, Iaroslavl, Vologda, etc.) will also be present to promote their region and initiate the public into the joys of life in Russia. Visitors will even be able to test their knowledge of Russia through a quiz organised by the Russian Federation.