Moscow consulate awards students a Volcic journalism prize

(AGI) Moscow, May 31 - Journalism as a means to spread Italian in Russia and that can create opportunities for young people's futures were the aims of the first edition of the Demetrio Volcic journalism award, promoted by the Italian Consulate General in Moscow under the patronage of Rai. The awards ceremony was held in the Italo Calvino Italian school in Moscow. Named after the historic foreign correspondent to the Soviet Union, the award was directed at all Italian language students between the ages of 7 and 23 in all of Russia. Divided into categories by age, the students submitted around 100 articles, chosen one by one by Mr Volcic himself, who then personally bestowed the certificates to the five winners. Mr Volcic gave his advice to the aspiring journalists with humility and humour. "Don't be like the Pravda," he exhorted, inviting the young people to always try to add something original and personal to the facts they report. "I took part without great expectations and I'm very surprised now," commented the winner of age 19-23 category, Taisiya Strelnikova, who was awarded with a two-week scholarship at Rai's school of journalism in Perugia. Taisiya, who is 19, is studying as a military interpreter at the University of Moscow and hasn't yet decided what she wants to do in the future, saying the scholarship "is certainly a huge opportunity to be grasped". Mr. Volcic affirmed, "I hope the prize is expanded and that Italian students will be able to come to Russia with scholarships in the future." The ceremony was also attended by the Italian Consul General, Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini, the advisor to the Italian Embassy, Michele Tommasi, and the head of the consulate's education department, Giuseppe Lo Porto. (AGI). .