On April 30, 2026, the Department of Gagauz Philology and History of Comrat State University organized the XII Olympiad in Gagauz Language and Culture, dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Gagauz and Moldovan educator, Archpriest Mihail Ciachir (1861–1938).

The participants were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of National Culture, Associate Professor Dr. Oksana Kurteva, who wished them success in the Olympiad.

The Chief Librarian of the CSU Library, Anna Kesia, prepared an exhibition featuring the works of Archpriest Mihail Ciachir, books, journals, newspapers about his life and work, a master’s thesis, and other materials. She also introduced students to the relevant literature available in the university library.

The Olympiad brought together first-year students from the Faculty of National Culture, as well as the Faculties of Economics, Agriculture, and Law. Participants registered through the Moodle platform of Comrat State University. According to the registration list, 22 students took part in the competition, and all participants successfully completed the tasks.

The test was conducted on the Moodle platform. The results demonstrated that students possess a solid knowledge of Gagauz culture, customs, and traditions.

The evaluation committee, consisting of Gagauz language lecturers Güllü Karanfil, G. N. Mutaf, and Natalia Dushkova, reviewed the results and summarized the outcomes. The committee noted that most students demonstrated a good command of the Gagauz language, actively participated in discussions, and were able to present and defend their opinions.

After calculating the scores, the winners were announced:

1st Place – Ekaterina Serova (Group AN-25)

2nd Place – Vitalii Tumba (Group EF-25)

3rd Place – Sergey Pulukchu (Group PM-25)

3rd Place – Viktor Ivanchev (Group IM-25)

All participants of the XII Olympiad received certificates of participation and books in the Gagauz language, including “Bibliyadan Annatmalar”, “Pollianna”, and copies of the magazine “Guguşçuk”.

A special guest of the Olympiad was Ilya Karaseni, a patriot of Gagauzia and blogger, who donated the above-mentioned books to the students and spoke about the initiators and sponsors of their publication.

The Department of Gagauz Philology expresses its sincere gratitude to Ilya Karaseni for his active cooperation and support.

We invite all students to participate in the XIII Olympiad next year and demonstrate their knowledge of their native language.