On the 2nd December, for the first time, Russian language courses opened in the city of Zanzibar on the island part of the United Republic of Tanzania. A group of 12 students attended the first lesson which was conducted by Ekaterina Kalashnikova, a Russian lady living in Zanzibar and a participant in the international conservation project associated with the study of marine mammals.

   The courses are organized by the Representative Office of “Rossotrudnichestvo” in Tanzania, as an extension of the Russian language courses conducted at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Dar es Salaam. Daily classes will be held at the premises of one of the Tanzanian tourist companies which is working in close cooperation with Russian tour operators. Zanzibar is steadily becoming a more popular holiday destination for Russian tourists, and so Russian language on this distant island so far from Russia is in high demand.