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Lonely Moscow Pensioners to Offer Foreigners Russian Lessons

Lonely Moscow pensioners are eager to help foreigners boost their Russian skills with online conversation groups.

Starting in September, “The LinguaLink of Generations” project hopes to unite Russian language learners with elderly Muscovites in conversation over Skype.

The project aims to reach elderly people in the city who may otherwise be isolated, as well as giving foreigners an insight into Russian culture.

“Our pensioners have led long and interesting lives,” project co-founder Svetlana Pavshintseva told the m24.ru news website. “They can really share their wisdom. We hope to have more than 30 pairs by the end of the year.”

Volunteers will meet with older participants to set up video calling, while foreigners who wish to take part can sign up on the project's website.

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