Language as an adventure: a unique interactive exposition opened at the National Centre RUSSIA

---

An interactive exposition titled "The Great and Mighty Russian Language" has opened at the National Centre RUSSIA — it is a space where linguistics turns into a game, and complex rules become accessible and engaging. The new exposition demonstrates that the Russian language is the living legacy of the country, revealing its richness and uniqueness through interactive mechanics, audio effects, micro-quests, and other modern technologies. Visitors can "blow the dust" off forgotten words, guess idioms through a kaleidoscope, choose the right "speech dress code," and even place stress marks on a xylophone.

Idea and concept

On 5 June 2025, during a meeting of the Council for the Implementation of State Policy in the Field of Support for the Russian Language, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Yelena Yampolskaya proposed creating special spaces at the National Centre RUSSIA and its regional branches dedicated to the Russian language. The initiative was supported by President of Russia Vladimir Putin. The first regional presentation took place at the Primorye branch of the National Centre RUSSIA, where the head of state was the first to see the exposition "The Unique Russian Language," created on the initiative of Liliana Voronova, Head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and Head of the Regional Testing Centre for the Russian Language.

"I always tell both Russian and international students that the Russian language is a means of national identity for the Russian people. It is not just a system of signs and rules but a living legacy that reflects the history, culture, mentality, and spirit of the nation," emphasised Liliana Voronova. 

What awaits visitors

The new exposition invites guests to test their knowledge in a playful way, rediscover forgotten linguistic phenomena or unexpected meanings, explore fascinating facts and records of the Russian language, and see how it lives and evolves every day.

Ten interactive cubes of the exposition

1.  Archaic words (obsolete vocabulary) — blow the dust off forgotten words and find their modern equivalents.

2.  Swipe away the excess (slang and neutral synonyms) — clean up trendy words and discover their precise analogues.

3.  Speech dress code — choose the right tone for each situation: slang, neutral, or formal.

4.  Music of stress — place stress marks "by ear" using a xylophone.

5.  Put the dots over "E" — the history of the letter, selection of correct spellings, and funny facts.

6.  Win don’t fail — why it’s "I will win" and not "I will victory": solve the defective paradigm.

7.  Kaleidoscope of idioms — guess fixed expressions from illustrations and learn to use them precisely.

8.  It’s a paradox — how one plate can both "stand" and "lie": the funny logic of everyday language.

9.  Oh, this Russian language — cases that are hard to explain to a foreigner but easy for a native speaker to understand.

10.  Records of the Russian language — speed typing, rare words, and amazing linguistic facts.

Who is it for

The exposition will be interesting and useful for schoolchildren, students, parents, teachers, and everyone who loves the Russian language and wants to see its beauty and flexibility in action. The interactive space will equally captivate children and adults, offering them delightful discoveries.

Expert-verified

All materials of the exposition were reviewed by Candidate of Philological Sciences, Academic Secretary of the Vinogradov Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Anastasia Preobrazhenskaya, comments and recommendations were taken into account.