Choose Russian!

- To master Russian is a skill that will be in high demand in the future. This knowledge will open many possibilities, Halvorsen said after a visit to Kirkenes High School, Finnmarken writes.

Halvorsen believes it can be easier to motivate young people in the border county of Finnmark than in other parts of Norway to study Russian. The proximity to Russia and the increasing activity across the border in the North are very good reasons for learning the language, she says.

Also the Leader of the Conservative Party of Norway Erna Solberg has underlined the importance of knowing Russian: - Norway needs more people with knowledge of the Russian language, she said at last year’s Kirkenes Conference and added that young people in Northern Norway should see the proximity to Russia as a big opportunity.

In the border town of Kirkenes, pupils can take Russian as an optional subject the three last years of comprehensive school and later for three years at High School.

Read also: Learn Russian!

In Finland, six municipalities in the eastern part of the country have have requested permission from the country’s Education Ministry to teach Russian instead of Swedish in local schools. They argue that the Russian language is far more useful for the pupils than Swedish both in social life and in work situations.

Read also: Disputed Russian language in eastern Finland