THE NEWSLETTER / JUNE 2005       Site map

22.06.2005 Welcome from SRAS! We are pleased to announce our second issue of Vestnik, a new scholarly journal showcasing the best of student writing.  This issue focuses on articles about many social aspects of Russian life.  In "A Remedy for Legal Failure: Trial by Jury in Russia" the history and current state of Russia’s juridical system is considered.  "Privately Enforced Capitalism" takes a look at Russia’s oligarchy, their historical development and where they might be headed.  In "Variations on Community" we are introduced to life in Russian kommunalki, or communal apartments.  We have also left room for political analysis with "US-Russia Relations After September 11th, 2001: A Game Theory Analysis." Click to see the current issue of Vestnik.  We would also like to wish every future happiness to our director, Renee Stillings, who was very recently married.  She will be out of the office until July 7th, so please hold off on sending her well-wishings until she has had a chance to work through her email!  Questions can currently be asked of natasha@sras.org and jwilson@sras.org.  Russian News: De-privatization? Russia’s largest opposition party, the KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) is lobbying for a return to a state-controlled economy.  Russian television has been relatively quiet on the issue, but has been negative when reporting on any state interference of the economy.  Putin is officially in favor of liberalizing Russia’s economy.  Yet the economy does not seem to be moving towards liberalization.  A bill recently passed by the Duma will require any business within the Russian federation to obtain the permission of the Russian Central Bank before opening a bank account in a foreign country.  Under current legislation, this will affect even foreign branch offices operating in Russia.  Many also argue that the recent Yukos affair and Gazprom’s (a state-controlled oil company) acquisition of Izvestia (formally one of Russia’s most respected independent newspapers), as signs that greater government control of the economy will materialize.  Russian Business: Unemployed in Moscow We have added information about retirement and unemployment in Russia to our database on Russian labor law.  Again, we've included Russian vocabulary and some of the latest statistics on these issues listed.  Click to view the new page!  Culture: Midsummer and Russian Paganism Pagan traditions in Russia and the former CIS are making a bit of a comeback.  Regional and national governments and even brand name products are openly supporting these traditions in an attempt to appeal to and bolster national identities.  A new article on the SRAS site gives a brief history of the gods and pagan traditions of the Eastern Slavs with special emphasis on the celebration of Ivan Kupala, the Slavic Midsummer, which will be celebrated early next month.  Travel: Museum database launched! SRAS is launching an anotated database of our favorite museums, restaurants, clubs, etc.  So far, information for Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Irkutsk has been posted.  Click here to find out more.  Featured University: Yaroslavl State University YSU offers a flexible linguistic program is tailored to first improve one’s Russian and also offer opportunities to study Russian literature, history, political science, and culture. A few of the specialized courses offered include: Phonetics, Morphology and Syntax, Reading and Discussion, Subject Specific Language, Russian Films, Russian Songs, Translation, and Business Russian. YSU has developed these courses in conjuction with the prestigious Middleburry School in America and combines them with homestay oppurtunities so that your Russian practice can be extended all day.  Cost can vary by what you want to take and how much, so contact SRAS for more details. For more info about YSU, click here.  Just for Fun - просто посмеяться The Moscow Festival of Social Advertising (Московский фестиваль социальной рекламы) is holding an online competition for public service announcements.  The ad below, part of the festival, is right now featured prominently at a handful of metro stations in Moscow.  For more images (and to vote!) click here: http://www.fsr.ru/vote/.    More translations for "just for fun" can include: "шутки ради" and "для прикола." More loosely, it can also be translated as: "просто так," and  "от нечего делать" (I did it just because).  « back to newsletters archive print this page email this page