About the Olympiad

OWAO is a recent Olympiad based on the best astronomical traditions, which brought together world-renowned specialists in the subject.

Teams are made up of the participants of various ages. The age of the Olympiad participants included in the team must not exceed 18 years. The minimum age threshold is not established. We suggest you to get acquainted with last year’s assignments to evaluate your knowledge.

The Olympiad includes four rounds: observational, practical, theoretical and test ones. The tasks were created by an Academic Commission consisting of representatives from different countries.

The Olympiad took place at Sirius Federal Territory from 20 to 27 September 2025. It was supported by the Educational Center of the same name, the main goal of which is to encourage gifted children.

Not only captivating tasks were awaiting the participants but an extensive cultural program comprising lectures, creative and educational workshops and excursions.
OWAO 2024
Last year almost 70 children were completing the tasks both in person at Sirius and remotely from all over the world. Overall, 22 people were awarded with gold medals: representatives of Russia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Armenia and Peru. 19 schoolchildren received silver medals and 13 — bronze ones. Ekaterina Churkina from Russia, who solved practical round with a full score, became the absolute winner of the Olympiad.

About the host country

About the federal territory «Sirius»

The Sirius federal territory is located in the Imeretinskaya Lowland between the Mzymta and Psou rivers and surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains and a unique nature reserve (Caucasian Biosphere Reserve and Sochi National Park). The territory hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, following which Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the foundation of the Sirius Educational Center for talented children from all across the country.

Now, based on the Olympic legacy, Sirius also accommodates and develops the University of Science and Technology, the Presidential Lyceum, modern laboratories, as well as cultural and sports infrastructure. Both children and their teachers and mentors study here. Scientists create innovative solutions thanks to the vast capabilities of the Sirius Science and Technology Center. Engineers work on delivering and adapting such solutions to urban spaces. National standards in education, science, culture, sport, and other fields are set here to later be scaled all over the country. The open Sirius federal project aims at identifying and developing talents of all ages for the benefit of the whole country and each and every Russian citizen as well.
© 2025 Foundation «Talent and success»