Upcoming Events
Discover the Untold Stories of Women in Dagestan
Explore the resilience and struggle for independence of women in one of Russia's most diverse regions in Women from an Unknown Land: The Fight for Independence (RUSS:2050:0001). This General Education course (International and Global Issues) offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Dagestani women through 37 exclusive videos with English subtitles, filmed by Associate Professor Irina Kostina during her 2019 trip to Dagestan. Gain unique cultural insights, challenge stereotypes, and deepen your understanding of global gender dynamics in this eye-opening course!
Mark Your Calendars!
As part of the General Education course RUSS:2050:0001 - Women from an Unknown Land: The Fight for Independence, we invite you to an engaging two-day conference. The Caucuses: A Mosaic of Histories and Cultures will take place on April 19-20, 2025 and you can see the conference program here.
University of Iowa Professor Irina Kostina is organizing a timely conference that will bring together scholars, experts, and students to explore the rich cultural, historical, and social complexities of the Caucuses region. Topics will include the diverse identities of its peoples, the impact of historical events, and contemporary issues shaping the region today.
Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of one of the world's most fascinating and dynamic regions!
Fall 2024 Semester Highlights
Student Shows the Importance of Majoring in Russian
Fall 2024 - Malvika Khadiya, one of our Russian majors, was featured in an article that highlights her academic journey as she expanded her studies beyond her initial ethics and public policy major. She added political science in her freshman year and later developed a deep passion for the Russian language, ultimately declaring it as a major. Malvika and her peers emphasize how studying multiple disciplines broadens their perspectives and deepens their understanding of the world.
Conversation Hour Provides Plenty of Opportunity for Practice
Fall 2024 - Starting in the second week of the semester, students go together for the weekly Russian Conversation Hour. They played Russian board games and card games, enjoyed Russian snacks, and had fun chatting, both in Russian and about Russian culture. It was a great way to practice the language in a relaxed setting while connecting with classmates and exploring Russian traditions.
Russian Professor Dr. Irina Kostina Publishes New Textbook
Fall 2024 - In collaboration with her Russian colleague Tamara Kornilova, Dr. Irina Kostina finished working on the third part of her textbook "Надежда" (Nadezhda - Hope). This textbook is groundbreaking in that it is specifically designed for advanced learners (B1 and above), uniquely blending modern Russian and American teaching approaches and utilizing the flipped classroom method. It uses group projects and other creative tasks to develop critical thinking, decision-making, and cross-cultural skills.
Russian Professor Dr. Irina Kostina Publishes New Article
Fall 2024 - Dr. Irina Kostina published the article "Teaching the North Caucuses in an Anglophone Classroom," which addresses "Women Unknown: Fight for Independence," a very popular course offered at the Universtiy of Iowa. Using bilingual instruction and interactions between American and Dagestani students, the course fosters discussion on gender, international relations, and the role of Russian as a regional language.
Russian Professor Anna Kolesnikova Publishes Open Educational Resource
Fall 2024 - In the summer of 2024, Russian professor Anna Kolesnikova, in collaboration with Dr. Olga Klimova of the University of Pittsburg, released the open educational resource (OER) "Preparing Russian-language learners for successful careers in the federal government and NGOs." This OER project and its goals respond to the current need for skilled Russian-language specialists who can work in a variety of federal and NGO careers that require mastery of a foreign language and the knowledge of culture.
Russian Students Met with English Interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev
Fall 2024 - The students in the popular Gen Ed course Russia Today had the unique opportunity to meet Pavel Ruslanovich Palazhchenko, the principal English interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991). During his visit to the United States as part of his reporting for the indepent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Palazhchenko delivered an insightful lecture, sharing his firsthand experience in Russian foreign politics.
Students Talk with Welterweight Champion in Russian Sports Class
Fall 2024 - Sergey Lipinets, a former WBA light welterweight champion, was an online guest speaker in the Russian Sports course. Born in Kazakhstan and raised in Russia, Lipinets shared insights from his life in the United States, discussed the differences between sports in the U.S. and Russia, and reflected on his childhood and the path that led him to become a world champion boxer.
Students Engaged in Traditional Russian games for Culture Course
Fall 2024 - Our Russian program professor, Anna Kolesnikova, taught the course Russian Sports: Politics, Scandal, and Glory. As part of the course, students learned traditional Russian outdoor games, like gorodki, lapta, and vyshibaly. They spent two class periods at Hubbard Park near the IMU practicing games, competing, and enjoying being outside.
Faculty and Students Held the Annual Kapustnik Festival Event
Fall 2024 - On December 5th, the Russian program celebrated the end of the semester with our traditional Russian culture festival, Kapustnik. Moderated by students from the 3rd- and 4th-year classes, the event features a variety of traditional Russian foods and student performances, including songs, dances, poetry readings, skits, and engaing Russian trivia games.
Previous Semester Highlights
Russian Student Reads Own Translation of Chekhov
Summer 2023 - Abigail Tindal, a third-year student of Russian, participated in the International Community Event in Taganrog, Russia. The event was dedicated to Anton Chekhov, a world-renowned Russian writer. The project "The World Reads Chekhov" has brought together scientists, artists, students, and readers from 31 countries. Abigail's video shows her reading her English translation of "My argument with my wife." The video was published on Taganrog's official Facebook page and she received a certificate of participation for this event.
Kapustnik: A Traditional Russian Festival
Fall 2022 - We celebrated the end of the semester with our traditional Russian culture festival Kapustnik. This student-led event featured a variety of traditional Russian foods, songs, dances, poetry readings, skits, and trivia games!