In Photos: Russia's Pivot to Asia Spurs Boom in Mandarin Classes
The demand for Mandarin language classes in Russia has surged in the wake of the country's increasing economic dependence on China and its pivot to Asia amid tensions with the West over the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.
The number of Russian job vacancies requiring some knowledge of Mandarin has doubled in sectors such as sales, transport, logistics, and energy, which has led language schools once heavily focused on English courses to recruit Chinese language teachers to meet growing demand.
Meanwhile, the number of Russian high school students who chose Chinese as a foreign language during their final exams has doubled in one year to 17,000, though English retains its dominant position for now.
Some young Russians hope to study at universities in China as Western educational institutions become less accessible to them, while others are considering relocating to China for work, lured by the high pay offered to Europeans.
The number of Russian job vacancies requiring some knowledge of Mandarin has doubled in sectors such as sales, transport, logistics, and energy, which has led language schools once heavily focused on English courses to recruit Chinese language teachers to meet growing demand.
Meanwhile, the number of Russian high school students who chose Chinese as a foreign language during their final exams has doubled in one year to 17,000, though English retains its dominant position for now.
Some young Russians hope to study at universities in China as Western educational institutions become less accessible to them, while others are considering relocating to China for work, lured by the high pay offered to Europeans.
A young pupil at a school in Moscow writes Chinese characters on a blackboard.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
Pupils learning Chinese number gestures.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
Language learning and cultural studies go hand-in-hand at this Moscow school.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
A trio of students dressed in Chinese clothing sip on tea served in ceramic cups.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
A young girl practices writing Chinese characters.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
Students adorned in traditional Chinese attire stand against a backdrop of the Russian and Chinese flags fused together in friendship.
Kirill Zykov / Moskva News Agency
A teacher writes Chinese characters on a whiteboard.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
Adult students practice writing Chinese characters at a Moscow language academy.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
Adult language learners practice their Mandarin pronunciation.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
A woman practices writing Chinese characters with a brush.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
A student holds a Mandarin textbook for seventh-graders.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
The iconic Chinese "lucky waving cat" in a classroom.
Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency
