First School Bell Rings at Russian Schools in Alanya, Marking the Start of the 2025-2026 Academic Year

Russian schools in Alanya, Konyaaltı, and Muratpaşa — the districts most preferred by Russian and former Soviet Union citizens for permanent residence — have started the 2025–2026 academic year simultaneously with schools in the Russian Federation.

In Antalya, where over 100,000 Russian and CIS citizens reside, the school bell rang on September 1st in Russian schools that follow the curriculum of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The new school year was officially opened with a ceremony at the International Private Russian School, the first Russian school established in Antalya, located in the Sarısu district of Konyaaltı.

The school’s founder, Viktor Bikkenev, stated that the school, established in 2000, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and said:

“In the Russian Federation and CIS countries, schools open every year on September 1st and close in the last week of May. We operate under the supervision of the Turkish Ministry of Education and according to the curriculum of the Russian Ministry of Education, providing education to students living in Antalya and Turkey from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other countries. We offer education from kindergarten through primary, secondary, and high school levels. In total, we have nearly 200 students. However, compared to previous years, this year we see a significant decrease in the number of students. The main reason was the mass migration following the war. Later, the migration authority made it more difficult for foreigners to obtain residence permits, which affected the number of Russian students.”