# Olympiada of Spoken Russian

ACTR's oldest secondary-school program: middle and high school students of Russian converse with native speakers, recite poetry and answer on Russian civilization at state competitions for gold, silver and bronze medals.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | American Council of Teachers of Russian |
| Category | other |
| Cost | $6 |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grades 6–12 |
| Format | In person |
| Location | Multiple, Various |
| Apply | https://www.actr.org/Olympiada |

## About this program

# Olympiada of Spoken Russian

The Olympiada of Spoken Russian is sponsored by the American Council of Teachers of Russian and is ACTR's oldest program for secondary schools in the United States, dating to the 1960s. It gives students of Russian a forum to demonstrate what they can actually do with the language: speak it, in person, with native-speaker judges. State and regional Olympiadas are held across the country each winter and spring, and students are judged at levels matched to how long they have studied.

## What You'll Do

- Hold an everyday conversation in Russian about yourself, your school and your interests with native-speaker judges
- Recite a Russian poem from memory and discuss a prepared text
- Answer questions on Russian civilization, history and culture at your level of study
- Meet students of Russian from other schools at your state or regional competition
- Earn a gold, silver or bronze medal certifying your level of spoken proficiency

## Who Should Apply

"High school and middle school students of Russian" are eligible. Entries are handled by teachers: "All students must be registered by a current ACTR member," so students should ask their Russian teacher to contact their regional chair or the national co-chairs. Cost is $6 per student, though some states or regions add a school registration fee.

## Outcomes

Medals from the Olympiada are a recognized credential in US Russian-language education and are frequently cited in applications for Russian study abroad, university placement and language scholarships. Because judging is conversational, students leave with an honest measure of their speaking ability rather than a written score.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does Olympiada of Spoken Russian cost?

Olympiada of Spoken Russian costs $6. Many paid programs offer need-based financial aid or fee waivers — check the official site before ruling it out.

### Who is eligible for Olympiada of Spoken Russian?

Olympiada of Spoken Russian is open to students in grades 6–12 (middle and high school). Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is Olympiada of Spoken Russian online or in person?

Olympiada of Spoken Russian is an in-person program based in Multiple, Various.

### How do I apply to Olympiada of Spoken Russian?

Apply directly through American Council of Teachers of Russian's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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