The SRAS Newsletter
A Resource for Students, Educators, and Anyone Curious about Eurasia
Spring programs in Warsaw and Bishkek - Apply by November 20!
Deadlines for Fall, 2016 start May 15, 2016
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 Students on our Moscow programs recently headed to a Russian dacha for a day of making pelmeni, painting matryoski, and other great Russian activities!
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Добро пожаловать!
Students hoping to study abroad Spring, 2017 still have time to apply for programs in Warsaw and Bishkek. This includes our programs in Security and Society, Central Asian Studies, Russian as a Second Language, and more.
This month's newsletter focuses on some great work done by our students and scholars. From politics to art and from religion to pop culture, these original articles should have something to pique just about anyone's interest – and all from young scholars who, we believe, represent the future of Russian and Eurasian Studies.
Our Koroche section revives our Russian Foreign Affairs in the News installment this month in addition to bringing our regular great material on new Russian music and movies. The Articles section presents a large variety of some of the best material we've seen online this month on US/Russia relations, the Russian economy, Russian public opinion, and more.
If you will be in Washington DC November 17-20 for the ASEEES convention, come see us in the expo hall! We'd love to see you! 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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Research Abroad
in Eurasia!
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Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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In this month's newsletter:
- Featured - Programs - Koroche!
- Books - Articles
Call for Papers: Vestnik - Deadline: Dec 30!
Students who submit papers for this edition of Vestnik will be eligible for a $200 Jury Award. Click here for details. Make your submissions by December 30, 2016.
– Religion, Art, Culture, and Language –
Моя Россия: Judaism in Russia
This free, intermediate/advanced Russian lesson looks at the long and facinating history of Judaism in Russia.
Моя Россия: Religion Under The Soviets
This final entry in our free series of intermediate/advanced Russian lessons on Religion in Russia is a history of religion under the Soviets.
Could the Baltic Crisis Lead to Wider Conflict?
Michael Filitis, who recently earned an MA in History and Political Science from the University of Chicago, analyses the current military buildup in the Baltics in historical context.
The Leningrad School
Michael Filitis, who recently earned an MA in History and Political Science from the University of Chicago, gives a brief, yet nuanced overview of one of history's most overlooked art movements.
Isaak Brodsky
Helen Herring, who has just completed an international gap year, examines the life and work of one of the USSR's most revered painters.
Yulduz Usmonova
SRAS Home and Abroad Scholar Julie Hersh, who holds an MA from the University of Glasgow and the University of Tartu, introduces us to the work of a politically active pop star from Uzbekistan.
Daab
SRAS Home and Abroad Scholar Zachary Hicks answers a question you never thought to ask. Yes, smooth Polish reggae exists (and this band has been popular in Poland since the early 80's).
Stage Russia is Bringing Russian Theatre to the US
The Man Behind the NHL's Russian Revolution
Video: Lost in Kyrgyzstan
Луч света: Discussing Voting Irregularities in Russian
New Employment Service Placing “Global Ready” Talent
– Programs –
Coexistence and Religion
We will learn to reflect upon and better understand religious traditions, issues, questions, and values in Georgia, thereby enhancing and expanding our understanding of how religion and spirituality shape our own lives.
Policy and Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space
Visit multiple former Soviet states to discuss the conflicts there, both past and present, with local students, teachers, and experts.
Central Asian Studies
Visit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan while studying the culture, history, economies, and more of this diverse and geopolitically important region.
Siberian Studies
This course will introduce you to environmental policy making in the past and present as well as Russian language instruction focusing on terms and concepts related to environmental science.
Russian as a Second Language
Intensive Russian courses for all levels in locations across Russia and Eurasia.
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.
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, elites and politics, entrepreneurship and innovation, and more.
View ALL 12 Spring Semester Programs!
Home and Abroad: $10,000 For Your Study Abroad
Braver Grants: Get More From Your Study Abroad
Updated: Funding for Study in Russia and Eurasia
Gilman Scholarship Spring 2017
– Koroche! –
Top Movies in Russia
How the News is Reported in Russia
Nashe Radio's Top 5
Russian Foreign Affairs in the News
– Articles –
Inside Russia's Cyberscene
What do we know about hacking in general and Russian hacking in particular?
Russia Slashes Military Spending as Revenues Shrink
Russian authorities have decided to cut defense spending by $15.89 billion or by approximately 30 percent.
Ukraine Rebuilds Navy with U.S. Help
Ukraine is refitting and expanding its naval fleet, including repairing its flagship, to counter a Russian military build-up in the annexed territory of Crimea, the commander of the Ukrainian navy says.
U.S., Britain Weigh New Sanctions on Russia.
Though Russia's economy has suffered in recent years, due in part to Western sanctions over Russian activities in Ukraine, the Kremlin – and the Russian public – have shown little sign of yielding.
America’s Russia Policy Has Failed
Here are seven things the next U.S. president should do to put Washington back in the driver’s seat.
Study Abroad
in Eurasia!
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Universities Prepare for Cold War 2.0
“When the next crisis arises,” Stent asks, “who will be well enough trained to deal with it?”
The State of U.S.-Russia Relations
In this 1-hour discussion, three experts debate Russia's place in the world, Vladimir Putin's agenda, US reactions to Russia, and more.
Russia to Join China to Counter U.S. Missile Defense
China described the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system as an "out-and-out strategic" move that threatens its national security, warning about taking “necessary measures to safeguard” its interests.
Russians Gather to Memorialize Stalin’s Victims
Every year on Oct. 29, Moscow residents line up for the microphone for hours to take part in "The Return of the Names," a memorial event to honor the victims of Stalin's repressions.
Russia’s Dissenters Choose Passive Resistance
Voters are turning away from society’s truths towards private pursuits.
Poll: Nearly Half of Russians Fear Syria Conflict could Lead to World War III
Over half of Russians polled say they support Moscow's air strikes in Syria.
Why More than Half of Russians Miss the Soviet Union
Sociologists say the attitudes are a reflection of today’s economic challenges and the mythologization of the USSR in pop culture.
Poll: Russian Majority Believes Shadow Economy Not Bad
34.5 percent of respondents believe the shadow economy is more beneficial than harmful, and 38.3 percent are inclined to think that it brings both benefit and harm equally.
Poll: Russians’ Trust in Government Sinks to 5-year Low
The State Duma's support fell from 40 to 22 percent in five years; the Federation Council fell from 40 to 24 percent. President Putin remained relatively steady at 74 percent (down from 80 percent in 2015). 60% have strong trust in Russia’s military and 46 percent trust the state security services.
National Defense is Top Priority for Half of All Russians, Poll Shows
The share of Russians who think that the threat of foreign invasion to the country is real increased to 65 percent – up from 56 percent two years ago.
Poll Reveals One in Three Russians Believe in Witchcraft
Some 27% of those polled said they had seen manifestations of witchcraft with their own eyes.
Labor Conflicts in Russia Almost Double
There were 544 recorded incidents of labor conflicts throughout 78 Russian regions, mostly concerning wage arrears. The conflicts, however, have remained local and focused on specific incidents.
Wheat from Chaff: Russia’s Going Agro
Russia as oil and gas behemoth dominates headlines but the country has become an agricultural superpower whose agricultural exports now vie with military arms for the distinction of Russia’s second-largest export.
Russia Shifts Focus From Oil To Agriculture
Even though Russia has pulled ahead of the United States for wheat exports, the country’s farms are still years behind in regard to equipment.
Russian Economy Unlikely to Grow More than 1.5% Annually
This is the Ministry of Finance's calculation for the medium term.
Russia Ramps Up Oil Output for 2016-2017
Russian oil production is expected to reach 547 million tonnes this year (10.95 million barrels per day), rising to 548 million tonnes in 2017.
How Long Until Russia’s Financial Reserves Run Out?
Cuts are not as bad as they seem and Russia's reserve systems have inputs as well as outputs.
Russian Regions Seek Investment from SCO Countries
Russia's regions are getting direct investment from China, Kazakhstan, Iran, and others.
Russia’s Widening Income Gaps Pose Risks to Central Bank
The central bank has warned that its ability to steer inflation is at risk from growing wealth inequality and the disappearance of the middle-income households that are the most sensitive to interest rates and prices.
Top Official Denies Plans to Revive KGB
Sergei Ivanov gave this interview, in Russian, to Komsomolskaya Pravda and discribes recent reports of KGB revival, his own "demotion" and other issues.
Moscow Authorities Seal Amnesty International Office
The Moscow Department of Urban Property seized Amnesty International's office on Nov. 2 for allegedly not paying its rent.
Putin Orders Law on Russian Nation to Counter Ethnic Strife
80 percent of citizens consider relations between Russia’s various ethnic groups friendly or normal – up from just 55 percent a few years ago.
Survey Shows Ukrainians Do Not Support Government, Leaders
A recent survey shows that President Poroshenko is not supported by 73% of Ukrainians, the Cabinet – by 79%, an the Parliament – by 87%.
If you have views or material you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us.
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