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Добро пожаловать!
- From Renee Stillings, Program Director
I just returned from a trip to Russia with a few thoughts and impressions to share:
Change. I saw both much change and very little change. Moscow has changed much. Very noticeable efforts are being made to make the city more pleasant for residents and visitors alike: info booths in the metro, signs and announcements in English, new (safer!) traffic lights. Sometimes I feel like a grandmother noticing how much a child has grown but friends and colleagues living there agree that the change is also noticeable in real time. These physical changes to Moscow are largely a good thing. In Irkutsk, I saw very little change. This is also a good thing. See my musings here.
The economy. The exchange rate is great for students arriving with dollars. Russia is suddenly quite affordable. We've wondered when there would be some economic correction, but in conversations with locals working in finance, the message seemed to be that this is the new reality. The government does not have interest in supporting the ruble and, in fact, this is a more natural level for the economy. The earlier boom was just that – a boom. Aside from a bit of grumbling about less ability to travel abroad, life goes on.
Opportunities. There has been a mass exodus of expats. There are fewer opportunities, but mainly they have changed. It no longer makes sense for most young people to spend more than a couple of years gaining experience in the Russian market. Keep in mind this is a very different question from that of studying Russia. The study of Russian and Russia is invaluable – especially if paired with another in-demand skill set such as economics or security studies.
New Study Abroad Course! I just finished reviewing the syllabus for our Introduction to Cybersecurity Policy course. It is cool. I want to take it. It's part of our Security and Society Summer School. In fact, all of the courses in that summer school are not only fascinating, they are resume boosters. There is a reason for the increased focus on security studies in International Relations departments and the boom of cybersecurity programs in the US. It is in demand. So are Russian language skills. Get ahead of the curve and come study abroad!
This month's newsletter below has not only more information on all our programs but also a new issue of Vestnik: The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies, this month the best of student research includes papers on Soviet psychiatry, shock therapy, and the history of Russian language instruction in the US. The wider newsletter has a focus on religion for the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday as well as lots of free language lessons and more.
If you have any questions about any issue affecting study abroad in Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, or Poland, please let us know! We hope to see you abroad soon!
Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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In this month's newsletter:
- Vestnik - Programs - Koroche!
- Books - Language and Travel - Articles
– Vestnik –
The History of Russian Language Instruction in the US
Anna Shur, a Ph.D. student at the University of Wyoming, gives a critical history of the materials and methods that have been used to teach the Russian language in America.
Medicine Standing on its Head
Alexandra Shapiro, looks at the history of punitive psychiatry in the USSR and Russia, with a focus on the man who helped lead the development of a diagnosis that purported to give punitive psychiatry a scientific basis.
Four Reformers in Russia's Shock Therapy
Keunwon Song, a second year PhD student of public policy at George Mason University, looks at the economics and politics of the shock therepy reforms that were attempted in Russia in the 1990s.
Anna Shur Receives $200 Vestnik Jury Award
Call for Papers: Vestnik - Deadline: May 31!
– Programs –
Security and Society in the Information Age
Spend this summer looking at important global issues from the vantage of Poland/Central Europe. This region serves as a fascinating case study in courses on security (including cyber), criminal justice, urban planning, and elites/politics.
Siberian Studies
This course will introduce you to environmental policy making in the past and present as well as what the professional language an international environmentalist will need to operate in Russia.
Russian as a Second Language
Intensive Russian courses for all levels in locations across Russia and Eurasia.
Home and Abroad Scholarships - Expanded!
These scholarships now offer $5000 - 10,000 in a more flexible program offering more locations and more subjects.
Internships Abroad
Our internship page has been updated with new information detailing possible placements open in Kiev, Bishkek, and Warsaw. Internship options are available in Warsaw with no Polish language requirement.
Kyrgyz Summer Adventure
Three intensive weeks of Russian language study followed by a one-week trek through the majestic mountains of Kyrgyzstan on horseback, practicing the language and learning about local culture. What better way to spend the summer?
View ALL 12 Summer Semester Programs!
View ALL 12 Fall Semester Programs!
Updated: Funding for Study in Russia and Eurasia
Study Advanced Urban Design Abroad
Service Learning Grants
– Koroche! –
Top 5 Movies in Russia
Russian Foreign Affairs
Poland in the News
How the News is Reported in Russia
Nashe Radio's Top 5
– Language and Travel –
Russian MiniLesson: Easter
It's not Easter yet! At least not for the Russian Orthodox. Our new Russian MiniLesson explains why Russia celebrates on a different date, with different traditions.
Моя Россия: Христианство и язычество
This month, we begin a series on religion in Russia, delivered in annotated, intermediate-level Russian and focused on how religion is seen in today's Russia.
Луч света - Holy Easter Fire
Russian Orthodox believers gathered at Vnukovo airport in Moscow to hail the arrival of the Holy Fire. Let them tell you why in their own words with video, text, and translation provided!
Irkutsk’s Old Houses: Windows to Siberia
SRAS Program Director Renee Stillings takes us on a walk around central Irkutsk, sharing photos and thoughts on the old wooden houses that lend so much character to the city.
The History of the Girl with an Oar
The statue was destroyed by a Nazi bomb in 1941. Nearly everyone involved with the statue died or was killed in the same year. Their stories add a new dimension to the resurrection of the statue in Gorky Park.
What Putin Actually Said About Trump
Popular linguist Michele Berdy analyzes the words Putin used when speaking of Trump.
Russian Greetings Through the Ages
Why Do Russians Shout «Горько!» (Bitter!) at Weddings?
Why Soviet Movies Rarely Had American Bad Guys
When Steve Jobs Went to the USSR
Hermitage Museum to Help Palmyra Restoration
Young Entrepreneur Saves Siberian Village
Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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– Articles –
OpenDemocracy: Putin is not Russia
Editorial: "Mainstream media in the west and Russia is fixated on the Russian president. Here’s why we’re not."
More Than Half of Russians Would Vote to Preserve USSR
Also, many respondents (40%) were hesitant to answer the question of who was to blame for the demise of the USSR.
Fewer Russian Think Political Opposition Exists in Russia
Even fewer Russians think that it should... This according to a new poll by the Levada Center.
Most Russians Not Ready to Join Protests
The share of Russians who deem economic protests to be possible has grown by a third, from 18 percent in October to 24 percent now.
Putin's Syria Campaign is Win-Win for Most Russians
Nearly 60 percent of Russians support air strikes in Syria, a recent poll found, as a week-old ceasefire holds steady.
Majority of Russians Would Support Putin Re-election
The number of Putin supporters has risen to 65% this year, over 57% last year.
Putin Nominates Kadyrov to Remain Chechen Leader
Kadryov had previously said he planned to step down, but most analysts saw this as a ploy to force the Kremlin to back him publicly, after a year in which he has faced criticism from many quarters.
Human Rights Worker Heads Russian Election Commission
She replaces a man widely derided for his outspoken loyalty to Putin and reputation as a "Magician" for recording voting results that differed widely from what independent observers documented.
Russia's Rosneft Shows Growing Profits
Rosneft and other Russian oil producers consequently have plenty of rubles to plow into drilling, setting them apart from U.S. and European companies which have cut back heavily on capital spending to save money.
Russia Has Demographic Problems; They're Not Worse Than Italy's
The damage from the 1990′s collapse is real and will prove lasting. But over both the long and short terms Russia’s fertility rate has been noticeably higher than Italy’s.
What Moscow's Top Liberal Radio Chief Thinks of Putin's Russia
Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of radio station Echo of Moscow, discusses multiple issues in Russia today.
Russian 2015 Official Economic Data Released
The state of the Russian economy continued to deteriorate in 2015, although the change in key economic indicators was not as dramatic year-on-year.
Russian Entrepreneurs Set Sights Closer to Home
Some regional startups are avoiding Silicon Valley and Moscow, as they take advantage of lower labor costs and a push for made-in-Russia products.
Where Does the Russian Orthodox Church Get Its Money from?
The Russian Orthodox Church is not only a religious organization, but also a large corporation that does business.
If you have views or material you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us.
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