What is the “Geographical Dictation‑2025” and what role does it play in BRICS' educational agenda?

The main news peg is the 11th Geographical Dictation, which will be held in person on Nov. 30, 2025, with a simultaneous start at 12:00 p.m. local time and will be available online through Dec. 14, 2025. It is an international educational campaign organized by the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) with topics that include Russia's historical and cultural ties with BRICS countries. (see announcement dv1930.ru, invitation SmolDaily).

What is this campaign and what is its format?

Short answer: a large-scale educational campaign with in-person venues across Russia and abroad and a two-week online window for remote participation.

Confirmation: the campaign has been held since 2015 and 2025 marks its 11th edition; the tasks include 40 questions for most participants and a shortened 20-question version for foreign participants; online testing is available from Nov. 30 through Dec. 14. Regional operators and organizers' press services publish this information (see regional reports Kuban 24, regional report RIA "Kuzbass").

What is the scale of the campaign — how many sites and participants?

Short answer: national coverage with thousands of sites and a notable international presence.

Details:

• Over ten years, more than 4 million people from 137 countries have taken part in the project; about 10,025 sites were recorded in 2024, according to the RGS and regional summaries (see reports Kolyma-inform, report Kuban 24).
• Regional examples of scale: Krasnodar Krai registered more than 1,100 sites, with 130 sites in Krasnodar; Smolensk Oblast — 63 sites; Kuzbass prepared more than 30 sites; Arkhangelsk — 17 sites; Chukotka — over 25 sites (see report Kuban 24, invitation SmolDaily, report RIA "Kuzbass", announcement Arkhangelsk - gorod voinskoy slavy, Chukotka site Chukotka AO website).

Why is the campaign important for BRICS' educational and cultural outreach agenda?

Short answer: the dictation functions as a soft-power instrument and a platform for cultural and educational ties with BRICS partners through thematic blocks and international venues.

Confirmation:

• The 2025 theme specifically includes historical, cultural, and geographical links between Russia and BRICS countries, as noted in announcements and regional press releases (see announcements dv1930.ru, announcement Kizlyarskaya Pravda).
• The campaign's geographic expansion: new foreign venues appear in 2025 — among the mentioned locations are Jamaica, Svalbard, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Bangladesh, and Egypt; this demonstrates a targeted international expansion of the format as educational diplomacy (see report Kolyma-inform).

What practical opportunities and operational risks does the campaign create for regional authorities, universities and cultural projects?

Short answer: the platform offers rapid visibility and broad engagement but requires coordination of logistics and standardization — regions have differing organizational practices.

Opportunities: * A large audience influx and media effect (more than 4 million participants over 10 years) — a chance to promote regional educational and tourism projects (see report Kolyma-inform, regional report Kuban 24). * Partnership formats: venues at universities, museums, RGS centers and even non-traditional locations (coastlines, botanical corners, exhibitions) create content partnerships and accompanying programs (see regional report Kuban 24).

Operational risks: * Different registration and venue-provision practices — some regions require pre-registration, others register on site; this complicates unified accounting and quality of delivery (see article SmolDaily, report Kolyma-inform). * The operation partly relies on volunteers and free venues (for example, Chukotka notes the volunteer nature of its sites), which increases the risk of disruptions in remote regions without stable infrastructure (see Chukotka site Chukotka AO website).

"Participation in the Geographical Dictation is... an opportunity to rediscover the multifaceted nature and richness of our country," said Alexander Nesterovich, head of the RGS regional branch in Magadan Oblast. (see report Kolyma-inform).

Conclusion: the Geographical Dictation format in 2025 is a large-scale, hybrid educational platform with an explicitly stated theme of engagement with BRICS; for decision-makers it is an instrument for outreach and partnership (education, cultural projects, tourism) that requires well-thought regional operational support and clear site registration to preserve quality and the campaign's reputation (the main facts are confirmed by regional organizers' announcements and RGS summaries).