OREANDA-NEWS. A ceremony to open a Russian-Ukrainian humanitarian gymnasium created with the support of financial institutions of Russia (Vnesheconombank) and Ukraine (Prominvestbank, VEB Group) was held in Kiev. Attenting the ceremony were: Russian Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov, Ukrainian Education and Science Minister Dmitry Tabachnik, Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, Deputy Director of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Larisa Efremova, Vnesheconombank Chairman Vladimir Dmitriev, Prominvestbank Board Director Viktor Bashkirov.

An idea of creating a gymnasium came into being in 2010. It was initiated by Russia's State Corporation 'Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)'. The initiative was backed by Rossotrudnichestvo. In September of 2012, Prominvestbank, Russia's and Ukraine's education ministries signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing and Deepening Cooperation in General Secondary Education for 2012-2014.

On September 1, 2013 the Russian-Ukrainian humanitarian gymnasium opened doors for its pupils. In autumn of 2013, the gymnasium was accredited and licensed in the Russian system of secondary education. Gymnasium leavers will be entitled to enroll in universities of both countries - they are to be given standard school certificates of Russia and Ukraine. The gymnasium is scheduled to be put in charge of a CIS leading teacher's training university.

Acting as an initiator of creating this gymnasium Vnesheconombank made all necessary financial and organizational efforts for it to come into being. This project's implementation was a significant contribution to expanding educational opportunities for both Ukrainian citizens and Russians living on the territory of Ukraine and helped to unify educational standards.