The All-Russian Olympiad of Schoolchildren (Vserossiyskaya olimpiada shkolnikov) is a nationwide, multi-stage academic competition system run by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. It covers dozens of school subjects, including mathematics, physics, computer science, biology, chemistry, linguistics, humanities, and the arts. The Olympiad is held annually and is one of the most prestigious academic competitions for students in Russia. Participation is open to students of Russian general education schools (including specialized and lyceum-type schools), usually from primary through upper secondary levels. The competition has several stages: school, municipal, regional, and the final (national) stage. Outstanding participants gain recognition, diplomas, and often significant advantages when applying to Russian universities, such as preferential admission or bonus points on entrance exams. For many STEM subjects, top performers also form the core pool from which national teams are selected for international olympiads.