KBSU Senior Researcher Leyla Kokova Presents the Country’s First Onomastic Dictation

On September 23, the presentation of the country’s first onomastic dictation took place at the T.K. Malbakhov State National Library of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR). The event was organized as part of a cultural and educational project dedicated to developing and conducting an onomastic dictation titled «Famous Place Names of Russia and Kabardino-Balkaria.»

The project is being implemented with the support of a grant from Russian President Vladimir Putin, awarded to creative projects of national significance in the fields of literature and art. The project’s author is Leyla Kokova, Candidate of Philological Sciences and Head of the Laboratory of Onomastics and Socio-Political Research at the Kh.M. Berbekov Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU).

The project’s primary goal is to popularize the study of the history and culture of both one’s local region and the country as a whole through an exploration of place names (toponymy), as well as to improve the historical literacy of young people.

Participants in the «Famous Place Names of Russia and KBR» dictation included KBSU students, as well as library patrons and staff. They were invited to register on a dedicated website and complete 30 test questions: ten focused on place names within the KBR, while twenty covered geographical names from various other regions of Russia.

The presentation was a success; the dictation will continue to be held at other venues and expanded with new test questions.