The Streletsky Construction Olympiad
The olympiad of Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (MGSU) for university students in 20 profiles, from structural engineering to AI in construction. Registration runs 1 September – 4 November 2026, the qualifier is online from anywhere in the world, and winners and prize-winners get 100 points in the entrance exam for MGSU's Master's programmes — and the regulations open it to foreign citizens.
An extra benefit for the Master's track: winners and prize-winners may apply through the Russian Government quota path for Master's programs 2026/27 — subject to the list's and the quota's conditions
Official file (PDF) ↗Registration is in your personal account on MGSU's olympiad portal, and applications after 4 November are not accepted. Then comes the online qualifier, 7–23 November 2026 — start any time within the window — and the in-person final at MGSU in Moscow between 16 January and 14 March 2027, each profile on its own day.
16 days left until it closes4 November 2026International students are eligible to take part — the organiser confirms this for the 2026/27 edition.
🌍 If you're an international student: the olympiad's regulations (§6.1) open participation to "citizens of the Russian Federation, of foreign states and stateless persons", and the official page says "Гражданство значения не имеет" (citizenship doesn't matter) — and you don't need to study at MGSU. The qualifier is online from anywhere, and the final is in person in Moscow.
🎓 The direct benefit: 100 points (the top score) in the entrance exam for MGSU's Master's for winners and prize-winners who score 60 points or more in the final, per the university's admission rules.
🏛️ As for the quota: the olympiad's official page says the Ministry of Science allocates places within the Russian Government quota to foreign winners and prize-winners of the olympiad in the 2027/28 academic year — that is the organiser's wording. The current Ministry list (2026/27) includes the olympiad as No. 43, while the 2027/28 list has not been published yet — and selection for the quota is competitive, not a guaranteed place.
What is this olympiad?
The "Construction Olympiad named after N.S. Streletsky" (Строительная олимпиада имени Н.С. Стрелецкого) is an open multi-profile olympiad run by the National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (NRU MGSU) together with major construction companies (TechnoNICOL · CSoft · Neolant · NOSTROY · NOPRIZ and others).
It has two stages: a remote qualifier you solve from home at any time within the window, and an in-person final at MGSU with practical tasks from the heart of the profession. Each of the 20 profiles holds its final on a single day.
⚠️ This olympiad is for university students — its path leads to a Master's. MGSU runs other olympiads for school students under different names ("Учись строить будущее" and "СТРОЙ карьеру") that have nothing to do with this page.
What do you gain?
This is a competitive contest: winners and prize-winners in the final are capped at 25% of participants in each profile. The 100 points are conditional on 60 points in the final and on MGSU's admission rules. And quota selection is competitive, not a guaranteed place — the year the organiser names is 2027/28.
📄 Why do we say "in the organiser's wording" about the quota? Because the Ministry of Science list published now (Master's olympiads 2026/27, entry 43) is the current admissions list — it serves winners of the previous cycle. Winners of the 2026/27 cycle will apply in 2027/28, and the 2027/28 list has not been published yet. So what we have for now is the organiser's statement on its official page plus the conditional clause in the regulations.
How do you apply?
The steps and documents as published on the cycle's page (read live on 28 September 2026):
📌 The most common reason for rejection, per the official page: uploading a photo of a student card or a screenshot of your grades instead of the official stamped certificate of enrolment. Prepare it early — and for foreign citizens the notarised translation takes time.
📘 Step-by-step registration instructions are published as a PDF on MGSU's website, and questions go to [email protected].
👥Who takes part, and in which language
📄 Source: "Положение … выпуск 3 (СК О ПВД 24-124-2026)" + the cycle's page and FAQ — read 28 September 2026
🏛️The final
📄 Source: "Положение … выпуск 3" — read 28 September 2026
📄Official sources
All these links were opened on 28 September 2026.
The official timeline — 2026/27 cycle
A participant account on MGSU's olympiad portal + the form + choosing your profile + uploading documents. Applications after 4 November are not accepted.
Remote and with no fixed dates inside the window: start the tasks any time from any computer with internet access; the time allowed is stated in the task itself.
Marking 24 November – 6 December, and results 7–13 December 2026. Qualifiers are registered for the final automatically.
At MGSU in Moscow, mostly on Saturdays and Sundays, each profile on a single day published in the final-stage schedule and in your personal account. 2025/26 winners and prize-winners who are still studying go straight to the final — but must register themselves.
Ranking lists and appeals 18 January – 28 March, final results 24 March – 4 April, awards 5–18 April, and diplomas in the personal account by 30 April 2027.
📌 The timeline is taken from the 2026/27 cycle's "Расписание" page and its FAQ — checked live on 28 September 2026.
🗄️ Watch out: the same portal still hosts the 2025/26 cycle's page with 2025 dates — don't take any date from it.
The twenty profiles
The list as published on the cycle's page — you choose your profile when registering:
Who can take part?
From any university — you don't need to study at MGSU.
From any university too.
Provided you are not enrolled in a Master's or PhD programme in the current academic year.
The regulations (§6.1): "citizens of the Russian Federation, of foreign states and stateless persons".
The qualifier is from any country, but the final is in person at MGSU — so factor in travel and a visa if you qualify.
Tap any question to open the answer ▾
💬I study at a university outside Russia — can I take part?
Yes. The regulations (§6.1) open participation to citizens of foreign states, and the official page says you don't need to study at MGSU. The year-of-study condition: Bachelor's years 3–5 or Specialist years 4–6, or a graduate not enrolled in a Master's or PhD this year. Upload an official stamped certificate of enrolment with a notarised Russian translation.
💬Do I have to travel to Moscow?
Not for the qualifier — it runs online on 7–23 November 2026 from anywhere in the world.
Yes for the final — in person at MGSU in Moscow between 16 January and 14 March 2027, on your profile's day. Travel and accommodation are at your own cost (§4.13).
💬Is the exam in Russian?
The olympiad's language is Russian under the regulations (§4.12). The exception the organiser mentions on the cycle's page is the Civil Engineering profile, which it describes as "the construction track in English" for international projects.
💬Does winning guarantee me a quota or a Master's place?
No. What is officially written:
• 100 points in MGSU's Master's entrance exam — provided you score 60 points or more in the final, per the admission rules.
• For international students, the organiser's page says the Ministry allocates quota places to the olympiad's winners in 2027/28 — and the regulations tie this to a Government decision setting a quota for the olympiad.
🔴 Quota selection is competitive and the decision rests with the Ministry — not a reserved place.
💬Is the olympiad on the Ministry of Science list?
Yes — on the list of Master's olympiads for 2026/27 as number 43. That is the current admissions list. Winners of the 2026/27 cycle will apply in 2027/28, and the 2027/28 list has not been published yet — so until it comes out, the reference is the organiser's statement on its page.
💬How do I prepare?
Each profile's page has a list of topics and recommended reading, and the best practice is past years' tasks in the "Архив мероприятий" section of the portal. The tasks are built on practical cases from the construction industry following your degree programme.
Everything here comes from the official 2026/27 cycle page at olymp-01.mgsu.ru/olympiads/37 and from the olympiad's regulations (выпуск 3) — read live on 28 September 2026. The olympiad is competitive: the 100 points are conditional on 60 points in the final and on the admission rules, and the quota for this cycle's winners is an organiser's statement for 2027/28 and a competitive selection, not a guaranteed place. The official page is always the final reference.
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Prepare your enrolment certificate and notarised translation
Registering takes minutes, but a stamped certificate of enrolment and its notarised Russian translation take days — start on them early, and pick your profile from the twenty.