Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
12 medals at international chemistry and mathematics olympiads. RUDN University students emerged victorious among 500 participants from nine countries: Azerbaijan, India, Jordan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
At the BIMO-2026 and BIChO-2026 Olympiads, they won 5 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals in individual competitions, as well as 2 Super Cups in team competitions.
Bukhara welcomes
The plane landed on Sunday at 3 a.m. local time. The temperature outside was below freezing.
The students admitted the journey had left them tired, but a sound sleep awaited them at the hotel. In the morning, refreshed, they set out to explore one of the world's oldest cities. First, they stopped at the bazaar, where vendors treated them to sweets, pickles, and nuts.
"The idea is to try everything! The sweets and nuts are delicious," shared Alexandra Golubenkova, Deputy Dean for Research.
Together with student volunteers, the team went to the summer palace of the Emir of Bukhara, then to the city's oldest mosque district. Monday: individual tour. Time's up!
Wake up at 7 a.m. for breakfast, bacon toast and tea. An hour later, a bus ride to Bukhara State University.
At the entrance, the participants were greeted with a festive welcome: four trumpeters played cheerful songs, and the organizers offered sweets. The students registered and proceeded to the assembly hall, where the university rector delivered a welcoming speech and wished everyone good luck.
It was time for the Olympiad itself. The organizers led the mathematicians and then the chemists into the classrooms. Each room held between 20 and 50 participants. The students were allowed to bring only a pen and a bottle of water.
The mathematicians solved five problems in linear algebra, analytical geometry, mathematical analysis, differential equations, and number theory. Each problem was worth 20 points.
"All the problems were arranged in order of difficulty. The easiest ones came first, then the more difficult ones," said Leonid Finarevsky, fourth-year math team captain.
The chemists had five problems in inorganic and analytical chemistry. The first task consisted of a coded chain of known and unknown elements, the second involved using the iodometry method, and the others were in analytical chemistry.
"I remember a problem about complexes with an interesting composition. To solve it, you needed to know the composition. If you didn't know it, you could try solving it using mathematical methods. However, it was challenging," noted Nikita Logvinenko, captain of the chemistry team and first-year master's student.
With four hours of individual tour behind them, they could have walked around Bukhara, but the guys headed to the hotel to prepare for the next day of testing.
Tuesday: Team Tour
Another early start and a commute to the university. Only 1.5 hours to complete the team competition tasks!
The chemists were the first to begin writing the Olympiad at 8:30 a.m. The team round consisted of three problems in organic chemistry, biochemistry, and a physical chemistry problem with elements of polymer and radiochemistry.
At 10:30, the mathematicians began the Olympiad. There were four problems on combinatorics, linear algebra, functional analysis, and control theory. The students completed the round 20 minutes early.
Both chemists and mathematicians note that it's impossible to distinguish between easier and harder rounds. However, the students emphasize the importance of proper time management and the ability to listen to others.
"The individual and team rounds were challenging in their own ways. In the first, you rely solely on your own knowledge, while in the second, each of you has expertise in different areas of science. And, of course, it's important to listen to everyone. If someone understands the problem better than you, you should build on their idea and not waste time arguing," explained Nikita Logvinenko, first-year Chemistry Master's student.
"I can't say the individual challenge was easier than the team challenge. I think it was about the same. The most important thing is to manage your time wisely and not get hung up on one task. You need to actually solve it. My team and I attend a club together to prepare for Olympiads, where we work on more complex problems, so everything went smoothly," said Leonid Finarevsky, a fourth-year mathematics student.
The chemistry team captain admits he enjoys solving challenging problems.
"A problem is exactly that: you read the problem the first time and don't understand it at all, then read it a second time and you can grasp the idea. Then you try to develop it," admitted Nikita Logvinenko, captain of the chemistry team and a first-year master's student.
The math team captain adds that he doesn't have a preference for difficulty level. He enjoys solving geometry problems and abstract algebra exercises.
Appeal: The battle for points in the individual round
The committee reviewed the papers. The scores were lower than expected.
One of the chemistry and math assignments contained incorrect wording, which affected the result. The students decided to appeal. From 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the students waited in line to appeal the assignment. Only after midnight, tired but happy, did the students emerge from the university.
The mathematics team captain defended the work of all the individual round participants before the committee alone. Each chemist appealed personally.
"The guys came to the appeal prepared and calm. We discussed everything with them: what to say and in what format," said Alexandra Golubenkova.
Wednesday: Awards Time
Three hours of waiting. The tension is mounting. Everyone is waiting for the results. After the appeal, it became clear that there would be prizes. It remained to be seen which ones.
Thursday: Farewell to Bukhara
My last day in Bukhara was memorable for the authentic Uzbek pilaf. Its secret ingredient is dried fruit.
"Uzbek plov is very heavy and fatty. If you're used to fatty foods, then it's fine; it's delicious, but heavy," shared Alexandra Golubenkova.
Students admit that Bukhara is a friendly city, and locals even tried speaking Russian with them. The pace of life here is measured and unhurried.
"The architecture of Moscow and Bukhara is certainly different. The buildings are older and shorter, but they're atmospheric. But the most important thing is the feeling of being in an unfamiliar city, yet surrounded by loved ones who speak the same language, who share the same sights and jokes—that's what matters most," noted Nikita Logvinenko, captain of the chemistry team and a first-year master's student.
Gold medals:
Nikita Andreevich Kosinov (Mathematics, 1st year Master's degree student) Leonid Borisovich Finarevsky (Mathematics, 4th year student) Mikhail Kagansky (Chemistry, 3rd year student) Stepan Baigushov (Chemistry, 3rd year student) Nikita Logvinenko (Chemistry, 1st year Master's degree student)
Silver medals:
Tolstykh Alexandra Andreevna (Mathematics, 2nd year) Artyom Larionov (Chemistry, 3rd year)
Bronze medals:
Farstov Artemy Alekseevich (Mathematics, 1st year) Grechukhina Svetlana Sergeevna (Mathematics, 1st year) Dmitriev Felix Filippovich (Mathematics, 1st year)
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