A 5-year journey. The Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages celebrated its half-century anniversary

In 1974, there had been organized the Russian language course at Minsk State Medical Institute. The first foreign students from Jordan, Syria, Rwanda, Ecuador, Mali, Tanzania, Sudan, Bulgaria came to study. From this moment the history of the department of Belarusian and Russian languages ​​begins. For many years (from 1974 to 1999), its leader was Associate Professor Alla Sannikova. From 1999 to 2006, the department was headed by Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Galina Aksenova, from 2006 to 2015 - Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Valery Bely. Since 2015 until the present, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Tatyana Melnikova has been head of the department. The staff of the department with 53 specialists harmoniously combines professional experience, teaching and scientific maturity, enthusiasm and youth. The department’s staff, passing the experience to young lecturers, remaining faithful to traditions, strives for new achievements and builds ambitious plans. The department was awarded certificates and diplomas from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. It is a member of the International Association of Teachers of the Russian Language and Literature, a member of the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language and the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of the Russian Language and Literature.

On the 4^th of October, the department solemnly celebrated its half-century anniversary. A number of events were dedicated to this event: the internship “Russian language in professional medical communication”, the participants of which were representatives of Saratov State Medical University named after V. I. Razumovsky and Ivanovo State Medical University; XXIII International Scientific and Practical Conference “Technologies for teaching Russian as a foreign language and diagnostics of speech development”, which was attended by leading methodologists and best practicing lecturers of RFL from 41 universities from Belarus, Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Greece, China; IV International X Republican student readings “Dialogue of languages ​​and cultures”; a reading competition.

A bright and, of course, memorable event for the guests was the grandiose festive concert, which can be proudly called an extravaganza of creative numbers performed by employees, students and graduates of BSMU. Congratulations, greetings, memories from the colleagues, songs, dances and poems, video and photographic materials, congratulatory video messages from BSMU/MSMI graduates of different years from different parts of the globe (India, Nepal, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, Cote d'Ivoire , Mali, Togo, Vietnam, China, Mongolia) did not leave the guests and heroes of the occasion indifferent. In a warm, friendly atmosphere, the lecturers were congratulated by the rector of the university, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Sergey Rubnikovich, Dean of the Moscow Financial University, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Oleg Ishutin, Dean of the Faculty of Career Guidance and Pre-University Training, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Nikolai Alkhovik, graduates, residents, Belarusian and foreign students. Many specialists of the department of Belarusian and Russian languages ​​were awarded certificates of honor and letters of gratitude. Head of the Department of Radiation Medicine and Ecology, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Aram Avetisov presented a musical gift to the hero of the day from the deans. The chairman of the trade union committee of workers of Belarusian State Medical University, Natalya Kibik, noted the contribution of the department’s staff to the education of the younger generation and the adaptation of foreign students to life in Belarus.

Many warm words, congratulations and wishes were heard from the stage that evening, including from the guests of the gala event. Colleagues from Belarusian and Russian universities spoke a lot about the professionalism of the academic staff of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages, about close cooperation that has grown into sincere friendship: Doctor of Philology, Professor, head of the Department of Russian Language of Belarusian State University Ivan Rovdo, Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor, head of the Department of Russian and Belarusian Languages ​​of Grodno State Medical University Elena Pustoshilo, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, head of the Department of Russian Language and Speech Culture of the Military Academy of the Republic of Belarus Svetlana Khoroneko, head of the Department of Slavic Languages ​​of Minsk State Linguistic University, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Olga Poletaeva.

Chairman of the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language, Executive Director of the Belarusian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, head of the Department of Theory and Methods of Teaching RFL at the Faculty of International Relations of the BSU, Doctor of Philology Sergei Lebedinsky congratulated the department on behalf of International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. He recalled that the origins of the creation of the Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language were the language departments of three universities: BSMU, BSU and BSEU. Alla Vladimirovna Sannikova, the first director and honorary chairman of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, made a great personal contribution to the formation of the association. Today, head of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages ​​at the Belarusian State Medical University, Tatyana Melnikova, is one of the deputy chairwoman of Belarusian Public Association of Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language. In this position, she managed to attract not only Minsk, but also regional universities to active participation in the work of the association of the Department of the Russian Language. Sergei Lebedinsky noted with particular pride the cohesion of all the departments and teachers of the Russian Foreign Language that are part of the association, which made it possible to create a Belarusian scientific school of methods of Russian as a foreign language.

The success of the department is determined, among other things, by fruitful cooperation with many foreign colleagues. Guests from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kursk, Krasnodar, Saratov, Ivanovo, Baku, Athens, Patras, Cote d’Ivoire took part in the events dedicated to the half-century anniversary of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages. The team was warmly congratulated with the 50-th anniversary, noting the huge contribution of the department to the development of international cooperation, by Doctor of Philosophy in Philological Sciences (Ph.D), lecturer of RFL at the ADA School of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy Gulnara Anvar kyzy Aliyeva and Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language at Ivanovo State Medical University Elena Vladimirovna Orlova, as well as representatives of foreign recruiting companies Sakh Rama Shankar and Jamal Nasser.

From the stage there had been heard sincere words of gratitude to the staff of the department from foreign students and graduates of BSMU of different years, wishes for good health, inspiration, creativity, new victories, achievements and good students.

The academic staff of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages ​​thanked the university administration for their support, understanding and wise leadership: Rector, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Sergey Rubnikovich, Vice-Rector for International Relations, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vasili Roudenok, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Vasily Filonyuk, Vice-Rector for Ideological and Educational Work Denis Chernov, as well as the deans, who over the years have always supported in difficult work: Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Alexander Stozharov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Vladimir Manulik, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Alexey Volotovsky, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Eduard Dotsenko, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Alexander Butvilovsky, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Vladimir Davydov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Aram Avetisov, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor Oleg Sergeevich Ishutin, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Nikolai Alkhovik. The Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages ​​and the guests of the event express special gratitude for the organization and holding of the concert to the following participants of the event: chairman of the MGMI/BSMU Alumni Association, senior lecturer Alla Sharapa, head of the Internationalist club Daria Vecherko, deputy head of the Department for Educational and Ideological Work, senior lecturer Svetlana Levashova, head of the vaudeville association of foreign students TALENT Ekaterina Shvaiko, the folk theater “Med. uni. Tsa" and its leaders Irina Sleptsova and Alexander Zhuk, choreographic groups of State Educational Institution "Gymnasium No. 12 of Minsk" and their leaders Alla Bogdanovich and Valentina Grabitskaya, the assembly hall storekeeper Taisa Smyslina, the concert host Sofia Verman, Nazira Alekberova, Dmitry Pavlov and Nihad Isaev, all participants in the music program from Belarus, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, India, Russia, Nigeria, Israel, Estonia.

Authors: Irina Andros, senior lecturer of the Department of Belarusian and Russian Languages of Belarusian State Medical University
Photos are provided by the author
Translation: Diana Petrushkevich-Hourou