THE NEWSLETTER / AUG 2005       Site map

02.08.2005 Welcome from SRAS! As we slip into the last month of summer, we are busy updating all of our programs for the upcoming academic year. Feedback from educators and students has prompted not only a series of updates to current programming, but also the launch of an "International Studies" program in English. This will allow for credits in high-level courses in areas of international relations, economics, arts & culture, and more. This program will be announced in detail in an upcoming SRAS newsletter and we will then begin accepting applications for the Spring 2006 session. Just a reminder: Vestnik, the Journal of Russian and Asian Studies is now accepting papers on all topics concerning Russia and the NIS.  The deadline for this round of submissions is Nov 15th.  News: Russia's Opinion of Terrorism Russian news has been understandably concerned with terrorism of late.  Shortly after the London bombings, Russian T.V. and newspapers were filled with coverage that seemed to favor two angles.  First, many graphic and repetitive descriptions were given by witnesses.  Second, nearly all sources emphasize Russia's own extensive experience with terrorism and the fact that Russians are not afraid of terrorism.   In a new article, we provide extensive quotes from Russians regarding their opinions on international terrorism.  All quotes are provided with side-by-side translation.    Russian Business: Opportunities for Foreigners A surprising number of young “expats” have recently been having luck finding jobs and internships in Moscow. We hope to report more of their stories in the coming months.  Provided on our site now is the story of Christine Nakahara, an energetic young SRAS graduate who recently returned to America after working for a year and half in one of Moscow’s most prestigious law firms.  Culture: Dacha wanna be Russian? It’s "dacha season" in Russia.  Dachas have existed for centuries, surviving revolutions, purges, and falls.  They remain an integral, if at times hard-to-define part of Russian life; many Russians scoff at them, many hold them dear, and many, oddly, do both.  To many, this "return to the soil," to their roots and the ways of their forefathers, is an important part of their "Russianness."  A new article on our site details the history of this unique Russian cultural institution.  Travel: SRAS goes to Vladimir/Suzdal; City database expanded. SRAS students were recently in Vladimir and Suzdal, on a tour organized by Contemporary Educational Programs (CEP) at MSU.  CEP is SRAS’s partner in the Space Biology and Medicine Program, but all SRAS students were invited.  Click here for the full story with lots of pictures! Nizhney Novgorod has been added to SRAS's expanding database of city guides!   Featured University: Volgograd State University Volgograd State University hosts the Amerikana Center, an independent and ground-breaking institution that teaches and researches both American Studies and Russia’s ties with America. The center publishes its own journal to which all students and staff are invited to contribute articles in English or Russian. This international structure and outlook, combined with recently added departments of Theology (one of the first state institutions to do so), Philosophy, Regional Studies and World Economics make Volgograd State an interesting choice for international studies. More info. Ходить на картошку - Goin' to the dacha! During the times of Soviet shortages, most Russians grew their own vegetables at their dachas.  In fact, some dacha settlements even boasted of exceptionally good land for potatoes, the vegetable of choice for dacha gardeners.  For this reason, many still refer to going to the dacha with the phrase: Ходить на картошку (to go for potatoes).  Most find this phrase amusing in today’s rather plentiful market.  Along the same lines, some Russians also jokingly refer to their dachas as "фазенда" the Russian rendering of the Portuguese "fazenda" or "farm."  This slang came about during the financial crises in the early 90s.  A string of Brazilian soap operas became popular at this time, as was dacha gardening.  Russians identified themselves, toiling at their dachas, with the slaves shown working the "фазенды."    « back to newsletters archive print this page email this page