RUZAIK FAROOK
COLOMBO – A much-anticipated Russian Language course was launched at the National Police Academy, Attidiya on Saturday February 8.
Within the next 6 months, 20 police officers will be studying Russian and then receive A1 level certificates.
The ceremony was attended by Head of the Russian House Maria Popova, Chief Inspector of Police Duminda de Silva and Senior Superintendent and Principal Administrative Officer of the Police Academy Nishantha Chandrasekara, Russian language lecturers and representatives of the Russian Embassy.
In his welcoming speech, Chandrasekara emphasized the importance of learning foreign languages for a better understanding of each other’s cultures. Year by year, the Russian language is becoming increasingly important for Sri Lankan police officers as the flow of tourists from Russia is constantly growing, and some of them have to contact law enforcement agencies. The Sri Lankan police want to communicate with tourists in their language, thus showing their native country from its best side.
Head of the Russian House Maria Popova thanked the State Police Academy for its keen interest in studying the Russian language, pointing out that this is not the first time the Russian House is dealing with people in uniform. All of them were trained by one of the best Russian language teachers in the island, the famous Sri Lankan translator Felix Fernando. Popova also noted that the police officers never seize to amaze with their incredible thirst for knowledge, they are very talented and disciplined learners. They make great progress even though Russian is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. But the result is worth the effort: knowledge of Russian expands horizons and provides many new opportunities, including effective interaction with numerous tourists from Russia.
