Staff Articles

I. Fallon O'Malley- Interview with Darya Belokon, Herzen University Student

II. Mira Wroblewski- Мелодии Миры №6: Гречка, Не за что

III. Ryan Klopp- King’s Gambit: Russia’s Chess Dreams Rest on Ian Nepomniachtchi

IV. Yasha Barth & Megan Carlon- Film Review: The Barber of Siberia [Сибирский цирюльник] (1998)

V. Sarah Lage- «Моя фамилия - Медведева»: A Case of Ethnophobia in Sports

VI. Lauren Fanning- Kettle Soup Recipe

VII. Pavel Parkimovich- Interview 2 with Professor Irina Gorbunova-Ford

VIII. Undra Tsend- Otyken

Interview with Darya Belokon

Fallon O'Malley

During the summer, I had a short interview with a student from Herzen State Pedagogical University to talk about the current situation with coronavirus in St. Petersburg, as well as how she copes with life during the coronavirus in general. I met with her in July of 2021 via Zoom and we had a brief conversation about the topic of the pandemic. She talked about the local culture and, generally, ways to maintain some normality in a world of uncertainty and change. Although this was conducted several months ago, it shows what life was like at this time when people were still largely unvaccinated in the country and what precautions were taken to compare with today.

How are you coping with the pandemic?

She said she was doing her best under the circumstances, just like everyone else. While it was hard for some of her family members who live outside the city, it didn't affect her much for the most part. She added that the coronavirus situation was serious at the beginning of the year (2021) and last year (2020), but now it is more manageable. There are many precautions in the city that help maintain the health of its residents. For example, in some places, people have to wear gloves and masks. This is highly recommended especially if they touch any public objects, such as a shopping mall map. These are frequently used and common places where people gather, increasing the risk of close contact. There are many precautions that are in place, such as hand sanitizer dispensers inside some shops and restaurants which people are encouraged to use. Generally speaking, she said that when you get sick, you should just be careful and make sure that there are not many people around you that you could put at risk. She extended that if we all contribute to masking and practicing healthy habits, there will be less of a concern over time. Of course, we have to constantly think about our actions and how they affect others around us.

Then I asked her many different questions about the current situation regarding restrictions in the city.

Can you tell us about the current restrictions or today's news about the coronavirus? Are things improving in your area (St. Petersburg)?

She said that now we are in almost a borderline state: there is no universal isolation, while every day there are more and more cases of infection. A number of restrictions have been introduced, mainly they relate to mass events, and it is now impossible to visit restaurants and cafes in Moscow if you have not been vaccinated, have not had coronavirus, or have not passed a test before your visit. In this regard, there has been a lot of controversy in society, since vaccination is voluntary, but those who have been vaccinated have some privileges. There is no such thing in St. Petersburg. And yet the main limitations are related to the accumulation of people. It is also mandatory to wear masks in public places and transport. Several matches of the European Football Championship have been held in St. Petersburg, and now there are football villages there. At the time of our interview, she assumed that they would strengthen restrictions following the championship final, which they did. She also said that all students took the session remotely. There are a lot of rumors about how the new school year will begin and what awaits them in general, and everyone is also arguing about vaccination. She said in general, it seems that the mood is calmer than it was last year (2020), but the question of the vaccine is now quite acute. I asked her about the vaccination options and she said it is very similar to the US because they also have three options or three different companies producing the vaccine.

Finally, I asked her about her communication with friends and how she balances her studies and social life.

How do you manage to work, study and maintain a social life during this time?

She said it can be difficult. She taught online classes for most of last semester and said it was good because some professors were doing great in the online format. However, of course, it is difficult to have a stable Internet connection, sit most of the day, and so on. Her graduation week was online, and she said it wasn't bad. In the coming year, she will be present in person. As for her social life, she said she has a lot of outdoor picnics with friends. This is something she can look forward to throughout the week, and it ensures everyone's safety because they are not in each other's apartments. She also developed some new habits, such as wearing a mask, and "being clean." For example, wash your hands regularly and keep a distance in large places. She reiterated how this is essential now and in the future.

Picture: Park in St. Petersburg

Мелодии Миры №6: Гречка, Не за что

Мira Wroblewski

Альбом: Не за что

Исполнитель: Гречка

Избранная песня: Это убило меня

Singer Anastasia Ivanova goes by the stage name Grechka, which translates to buckwheat—she states that she simply came up with the pseudonym during a time when she often ate buckwheat with milk and sugar. Her interesting name and music proved to generate a lot of popularity. Grechka released her first album on Russian social networking site VK at the age of 17 and became an instant hit, especially among fellow teenagers. Just months prior, she had moved to St. Petersburg to go to plumbing school. Grechka dreamed of becoming a musician ever since watching the Disney movie Camp Rock in 2012, and her dreams came true with all the magic and quick pacing of the movie. As early as 2018, Afisha Daily called her "the musical discovery of the year" and she appeared on the popular nightly talk show “Evening Urgant.” Although she loves music, Grechka admits she would’ve preferred a gradual increase in popularity, as the ups and downs of such attention took a toll on her mental health. She also firmly asserts that the money and popularity mean nothing to her—the rewarding part of her life is her evolution as an artist and human being, and she would happily go back to playing on the streets for spare change, even saying “musicians have to be hungry, like any creator."

Grechka writes all of her music herself, at first taking inspiration from teenage angst, but gradually moving on to more mature topics as she gets older. In 2021 she released her album Не за что, which is about moving past breakups. This summer she revealed that much of the album was about her recent relationship with a girl, officially coming out as bisexual. As an open member of the LGBTQ community and an artist who sings about some of the darker parts of life, many young people strongly relate to her music and see her as an inspiration. Grechka says she hopes her music helps people handle some of life’s difficulties and teaches them to be open, honest, and decent people. She is also open about seeing a therapist and encourages others to seek help if they need it.

I’ve selected some lyrics from the song Это убило меня off of Гречка’s album Не за что.

Избранный текст песни Это убило меня:

Я до сих пор вспоминаю

А если сильно — ты снишься

Но я давно так не знаю

Тебя и ты меня слишком

Лишь вспоминая, мы дышим

Улыбаемся чаще

Но в этом городе принцип

Разрушать всё на части

Сначала не отвечаешь

Потом становишься скрытнее

От меня убегаешь

Ищешь причины забыть меня

Ну, давай, только быстро

Я привыкну и к этому

Не скрывай безразличие

Оно видится первое

Когда-то это убило меня, всё было так трудно

Вставать по утрам не могла, призраком будто

Меня не искали нигде, не вешали постер

О том, что пропала и нет нигде больше

Я так не могу

Я проживаю в тайне

Никто не знает о тебе

Как о воспоминании

Никто не знает о том

Что было между нами

Да и ты не помнишь то

Как мы с тобой летали

Или не летали?

Может быть мне всё приснилось?

И твоё было желание

Время тупо с кем-то выбросить

И тут стояла я

Похожая на мусорку

Выкидывай в меня

Я замолчу и скушаю

Всё переживём и дальше будем жить

Я в борьбе с огнём, борюсь только за свою жизнь

И обещаю впредь не верить в чудеса

Односторонних отношений и любви лишь от меня

I still remember

And if strongly – I’ll dream of you

But I haven’t known you for so long

And you’re too much

Just remembering, we breathe

We smile more often

But in this city it’s the principle

To break everything into pieces

At first you don’t answer

Then you become more secretive

You run away from me

Looking for reasons to forget me

Well, let’s do this, just be quick

I’ll get used to this too

Don’t hide indifference

It is seen first

Once it killed me, everything was so hard

I couldn’t get up in the morning, as if like a ghost

No one looked for me anywhere, they didn’t hang a poster

About what went missing and is no longer anywhere

I can’t do this

I am living in secret

No one knows about you

Like a memory

No one knows about

what was between us

And you don’t remember

how you and I flew

Or didn’t fly?

Maybe everything was a dream?

And your desire was to stupidly throw away time with someone

And here I stood

Like a trash can

Throw it out at me

I’ll shut up and eat it

We’ll live through everything and continue to live

I’m in a fight against fire, I fight only for my life

And I promise not to believe in the miracles of one-sided relationships and love only from me

Цитаты:

Кафискина, Динара. “‘Голодала и Писала Песни’: Певица Гречка Об Отношении к Деньгам и Недавнем Расставании.” Вечерняя Москва, Mar. 2021, https://vm.ru/entertainment/870666-golodala-i-pisala-pesni-pevica-grechka-ob-otnoshenii-k-dengam-i-nedavnem-rasstavanii.

Шульгин, Евгений. “Певица Гречка Совершила Каминг-Аут.” Lenta.ru, 7 June 2021, https://lenta.ru/news/2021/06/07/grechka/.

Ссылка на песню: гречка - это убило меня - YouTube

King’s Gambit: Russia’s Chess Dreams Rest on Ian Nepomniachtchi

Ryan Klopp

When imagining a stereotypical Russian chess master, one probably wouldn’t think of Ian Nepomniachtchi. The sheer complexity of modern chess at the international level, combined with the infamously intense and state-sponsored training programs which produce Russia’s grandmasters, leads to the perception that the country’s elites are single-minded automatons built for nothing but chess domination. Nepomniachtchi, however, is part of a new generation; while his aptitude for chess was identified at a young age, Nepomniachtchi spent his teenage years becoming almost as famous in the field of esports as he is on the chessboard. Under the in-game name “FrostNova”, he won multiple professional-level tournaments at Valve Games’ Dota and Dota 2, in addition to serving as a balance consultant for Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone. But now, there’s only one thing on his mind: winning the World Chess Championship.

On the 24th of November, “Nepo,” as his fans lovingly call him, will take on the incumbent Magnus Carlsen in Abu Dhabi in a fourteen-game head-to-head battle for the crown and a 2 million Euro purse. But this match is more than just a competition between the world’s two best chess players; the weights of history and international politics rest on Nepo’s shoulders. A Russian has not held the world title since Vladimir Kramnik’s defeat in 2007; and, at fourteen years and counting, this is the longest stretch without a Russian champion since before World War II. As if ending this ignominious streak wasn’t enough pressure, contemporary politics have also inserted themselves into the chess sphere. When he arrives in Abu Dhabi, Nepo will be competing as a “neutral”– the two-year ban by the World Anti-Doping Administration on athletes competing under the Russian flag applies to chess as well, and this national insult has only further enflamed the passions of patriotic Russian fans.

Can he do it? By any measure, Carlsen is a formidable opponent. The Norwegian is widely considered among the greatest chess masters in history; he holds the all-time record for highest rating and longest unbeaten streak, and has spent a nearly unprecedented 136 consecutive months ranked as the No. 1 player in the world by live rating (second in chess history). He has already defended his title three times, and will be heavily favored to make it four. However, Nepo does lead in their all-time head-to-head record at classical time controls, at four wins to one (and eight draws). Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi, the world will be watching– and Nepo will have an opportunity to become a true hero for a country that sorely needs one.

Sources:

https://www.chess.com/article/view/2021-world-chess-championship-smarterchess-predictions

https://www.chess.com/news/view/ian-nepomniachtchi-interview-chess

https://www.fide.com/news/1045

Ian Nepomniachtchi (left) and Magnus Carlsen meet over the board in 2019.

Film Review: The Barber of Siberia [Сибирский цирюльник] (1998)

Yasha Barth & Megan Carlon

Introduction

There are few producers that have become world-renowned for both their directing, writing, and acting abilities. Nikita Mikhalkov, one of Russia’s most famous directors, certainly belongs to this exclusive club. Mikhalkov’s big-screen career did not come as a surprise to many since his father, Sergei Mikhalkov, was successful in his own right– having written the lyrics to the Soviet and Russian national anthems. Mikhalkov has starred in many of his own productions, including Burnt by the Sun (Утомлённые солнцем) and The Barber of Seville (Сибирский цирюльник). He also won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1995 for the film Burnt by the Sun.

We chose to watch and review The Barber of Seville, as we saw it fit given the famous scenes in the film that occurred during the winter months. Although this film does not center entirely around the upcoming late fall/early winter celebrations, it does highlight many aspects of Russian culture that occur throughout the calendar year.

You can watch the film for free with English subtitles on Youtube with the link below:

https://youtu.be/Qh-9y2VpTGw

Fun Facts

The director, Nikita Mikhalkov, gives himself a cameo as the tsar near the beginning of the film.
Nikita Mikhalkov translated and did the voice over for spoken English parts as well.
The winter in 1997 was uncommonly snowless and warm, but the moviemakers wanted to film snowy Moscow streets and the Kremlin, so they used lots of artificial snow.

Megan’s Review

The Barber of Siberia was released in 1998, but the film takes place in the early 1900s while Russia was under the rule of Nicholas II and follows an American woman named Jane. Jane travels to Russia to assist an engineer with the promotion of his new machine, which is designed to harvest the forests of Siberia. Jane meets several military men and is exposed to different aspects of Russian culture throughout the film. For instance, the film depicts the Maslenitsa festival in which there is dancing, fighting, and a lot of drinking. One of the notable men Jane meets is an outgoing cadet, Tolstoy, played by the popular Russian actor Oleg Menshikov. Menshikov is known for his witty style and his playfully-romantic interaction with Jane throughout the plot is very engaging. The dialogue frequently switches languages between English and Russian and so it’s a perfect film for those starting to learn and understand Russian. Overall, the mood is lighthearted and humorous with a good balance of drama.

Yasha’s Review

The first Nikita Mikhalkov-directed film that I watched, At Home Among Strangers (Свой среди чужих, чужой среди своих), greatly impressed me. Since then, I have looked into several of his other films, including the 1998 film The Barber of Siberia (Сибирский цирюльник). To say the least, Mikhalkov’s creative and humorous style once again astonished me. The Barber of Siberia is unique in its story and plot and the outstanding performances by Oleg Menshikov (Andrei Tolstoi) and Julia Ormond (Jane Callahan) greatly contributed to the comedic and dramatic aspects of the film. The Barber of Seville not only depicts many traditional aspects of Russian culture, such as the Maslenitsa festival, but it also beautifully captures the colorful scenery of Russia. Moreover, the vibrant costumes and sets teleport you back into the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Furthermore, there are hints to both past and current social and political problems that have impacted much of Russia, yet these subtle references aren’t overly emphasized to ensure that the film remains entertaining to watch. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is the fact that half of it is in English, which I found quite unusual but endearing. Although the film is rather long (about 3 hours) and has a rather anticlimactic ending, I would highly recommend watching this masterpiece for those less familiar with Russian language and culture.

Vocabulary

Цирюльник - barber

Царь - Czar

Невеста – bride

Бублик - a circular sweet bread ring eaten for dessert

Сушка – a smaller and harder version of a Bublik

“Маленький бублик - это сушка.” – “Small round ‘bublik’ is called ‘Sushka’”

Citations

“The Barber of Siberia.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 20 Feb. 1999, www.imdb.com/title/tt0120125/.

Mikhalkov, Nikita, director. The Barber of Siberia, 1998, From Russia with Stuff, 7 Dec. 2018, youtu.be/Qh-9y2VpTGw.

“Nikita Mikhalkov.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Mikhalkov.

Nikita Mikhalkov, 2013 (Wikipedia)

Film poster (IMDb)

«Моя фамилия - Медведева»: A Case of Ethnophobia in Sports

Sarah Lage

Two-time world champion figure skater and Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva – daughter of Zhanna Devyatova and Arman Babasyan – took and began competing under her grandmother’s surname, Medvedeva, as a very young child. According to Babasyan, an Armenian businessman, the name change “occurred solely with my consent, and at that time this decision was right.” (Armedia 2018) The reason why Medvedeva’s parents chose her grandmother’s surname instead of her mother’s, Devyatova, is still unclear, but it is worth noting that Medvedeva is a very common Russian surname. Devyatova is less common, and most people with this surname live in the Udmurt Republic and Chelyabinsk Oblast rather than Moscow or St. Petersburg. (Forebears 2021)

It seems as though Medvedeva was encouraged to hide her Armenian roots when she was young. On an Instagram live video made shortly before she started receiving widespread attention from figure skating fans around the world, Medvedeva was asked about her former last name. In response, she said (translated to English), “My last name is Medvedeva. Where did you hear that my last name was Babasyan? I am only Medvedeva. My nationality is Russian and I come from Moscow. That’s it. Patronymic? I have a very beautiful patronymic - Armanovna. Arman is a French name. I am Armanovna, so I have a French patronymic.” (Adamov 2020) For people who know anything about Armenian forenames, this explanation makes little sense. Arman is, in fact, one of the most common names in Armenia; it’s much more common there than in France. (Forebears 2021) A lot of Russian fans thought Medvedeva’s attempt to distance herself from her Armenian heritage was hilarious, but I found it sad. Why would a young girl feel so motivated to hide her ancestral roots? Why would it be necessary?

It seems like Evgenia Medvedeva was Russia’s golden child until she decided, after losing the Olympic gold medal to teammate Alina Zagitova, to leave Russia and Eteri Tutberidze, her longtime coach, and train under the tutelage of two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser in Toronto, Canada. This outraged many Russians. In the blink of an eye, Medvedeva became a traitor, and the country’s sympathy for her after losing at the Olympics rapidly dissolved. Not only did Russian sentiment towards Medvedeva shift; the way many people referred to her also changed. No longer was she Evgenia Medvedeva. Instead, people began calling her by her father’s last name, Babasyan.

“Babasyan” became an insult, a derogatory term commonly used on Russian sports forums and social media to refer to Evgenia. One common theme among hate comments on these platforms is the notion that Medvedeva is not a “real” Russian; she’s a traitor and a phony who doesn’t even have any claim to the country (which, of course, is untrue because her mother is Russian). Using “Babasyan” in a derogatory context aligns perfectly with this narrative, because it is a foreign name. It serves, for these people, as evidence of Medvedeva’s otherness from other Russian skaters and Russians as a whole. With a surname like Babasyan, it’s clear: Evgenia is Armenian (most Armenian surnames end in -yan/ian), not Russian – so she, by ethnophobic logic, is a predisposed traitor; she isn’t capable of being as loyal as ethnic Russians.

Even though Medvedeva did end up returning to Eteri Tutberdize and Самбо-70 (her sports school) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, these attacks did not stop. On any Russian forum article about her, you will certainly still see people referring to Evgenia as “Babasyan” or “the Armenian from Canada.” It seems as though some Russians were happy to claim Medvedeva as one of their own while she was winning international competitions. However, once she chose to exercise autonomy and change her coaching situation in order to prolong her career, this was seen as a massive betrayal and she was effectively othered by her own countrymen.

Watching the Russian perception of Evgenia Medvedeva shift answered my questions about what may have motivated her name change all those years ago and why she would’ve felt motivated to, as a girl, masquerade as an ethnic Russian with a French patronymic. In Russia, something as harmless as your last name can be used against you in the right circumstances.

Perhaps Zhanna Devyatova and Arman Babasyan understood the stigma around being a non-ethnic Russian and wanted to protect their daughter from ethnophobia, especially since she showed promise in figure skating and began competing on the international stage at a young age. Maybe Evgenia’s parents believed that changing her last name to Medvedeva would make her more marketable as an athlete and professional later in life. If the name change was indeed an effort to shield Evgenia from anti-Armenian sentiment, these efforts were, unfortunately, unsuccessful. In the case of Evgenia Medvedeva, it’s clear: even Olympic-level athletes who have brought countless medals home to Russia aren’t safe from ethnophobic attacks.

Читаты

Adamov, A. (2020, October 1). «Я больше русский человек». Как фигуристка Медведева скрывала национальность отца. Чемпионат. https://www.championat.com/figureskating/article-4149019-kak-zhivjot-otec-evgenii-medvedevoj-arman-babasjan--roman-s-figuristkoj-otnoshenie-k-docheri.html

Armedia. (2018, March 2). Why the Figure Skater Evgenia Medvedeva (Babasyan) Did Not Take Her Father’s Name. Armedia. https://armedia.am/eng/news/58128/why-the-figure-skater-evgenia-medvedeva-babasyan-did-not-take-her-fathers-name.html

Forebears. (2021a). Arman. Forebears. https://forebears.io/forenames/arman

Forebears. (2021b). Devyatova. Forebears. https://forebears.io/surnames/devyatova

Forebears. (2021c). Medvedeva. Forebears. https://forebears.io/surnames/medvedeva

Left: Medvedeva singing the Russian national anthem at the victory ceremony following the 2016 Grand Prix Final

Center: Medvedeva at the 2019 Autumn Classic in Oakville, Ontario

Right: Medvedeva performing her Anna Karenina free program at the 2018 Olympics

Nettle Soup Recipe

Lauren Fanning

While listening to the audiobook version of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, I’ve heard several delicious descriptions of foods eaten at various dinner parties. While some more fanciful foods, enjoyed by characters such as Stepan Arkadyevich, seem a bit trickier to cook on a college budget, other simpler foods appreciated by characters like Konstantin Levin seem like a perfect choice for a dorm-cooked meal. One meal that especially interested me was nettle soup, a dish served by Levin’s cook for Levin and Stepan Arkadyevitch. Since both characters seemed to genuinely enjoy the dish, I was very excited to find out how to cook it.

Especially in the midst of fall, kettle soup is an ideal, simple meal for Williamsburg’s colder weather. The recipe I used to make this dish consists of several different hearty ingredients that make this soup a perfect meal by itself, or eaten with some slices of bread.

Ingredients:

-1 large bunch of nettles

-1 medium bunch of sorrel (arugula works as a substitute)

-2 medium, red tomatoes

-5 potatoes (yukon gold or russet)

-2 eggs

-1 bunch of dill

-1 bunch of scallions

-1 spoonful of sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and cut the potatoes. Add them to the pot, and allow them to slowly, partially cook - approximately 12 minutes.
While the potatoes are being par-cooked, blanch the nettles. If you are using fresh nettles, blanching is an important step for getting rid of their pungency.
Wash the nettles carefully and put them into a separate pan with boiling water. Cook for ten minutes.
Remove the nettles from the pan. Cut both the leaves and the stalks. Add the nettles into the pot with the potatoes.
Simmer for an additional 13-15 minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked. Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and add them to the pot.
Hard-boil the eggs, remove the shells and cut each egg in half lengthwise.
Cut up the sorrel, dill and onion and add to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to infuse for at least ten minutes. Put the soup into bowls and add the eggs.
Add sour cream to taste (optional).

Recipe used:

Khanova, Natalia. “Nettle Soup: A Little Pain and a Lot of Gain.” Russia Beyond, 15 Mar. 2017, www.rbth.com/russian_kitchen/2016/10/19/nettle-soup-a-little-pain-and-a-lot-of-gain_640357.

Interview 2 with Professor Irina Gorbunova-Ford

Pavel Parkimovich

Interview Date: 10/26/2021

Why did you decide to study at Khabarovsk State Pedagogical University?

I have a Ph.D in history and military history, and I studied at two different colleges. The first one was Khabarovsk State Pedagogical University for my first bachelor’s and master's degrees in history and secondary education. The reason why I studied at Khabarovsk first is that I was trying to get into a university in the Far East for a specific archeology and ethnography research program. There were 10 people applying for one position, and I didn’t get into the program because it was very competitive. So, I made a quick decision to apply to my second choice which was Khabarovsk Pedagogical University. I wasn’t originally planning to become a teacher or historian at first, because I was planning on doing research for archeological and ethnographical expeditions for a local natural history museum.

Can you tell me about your experience at that university?

My experience was pretty good. We had close communications with our classmates. There were only 52 students in the historical program. It was an interesting time in the 1990s after perestroika. I can say that the period after 1989 was the hardest for Russia, but also for the younger generation in general. It was very interesting.

Where were you born?

I was born in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which is located in far east Russia. It is a small industrial city on the Amur River. There were lots of factories and military plants, navy ships and big giant ship yards. It was a closed city too because we do not have any tourists or international people. My parents decided to move to Khabarovsk, which has about 700,000 people. It is a capital in far east Russia. We moved and it was a completely different field because it was more cultural. There are different universities and theaters, for example, which is different from an industrial city. It was nice; I stayed there for the beginning of my career. I actually studied at two different universities because people were invited to study for free. There was a new program that they created called “Management and Public Administration.” I didn’t have to pay any tuition so I decided to get two different master’s degrees from two universities. I graduated in 1999 from the Far East Academy of Public Service and received my second master’s degree from there.

Why did you decide to move to the United States?

After I graduated from both universities, I worked for a local city mayor. I was a program advisor for military installations and was also involved in programs for young people. I ran the small section for city mayor. I decided that I didn’t love what I was doing so I applied for a teaching job at Far East Academy of Public Service. They accepted my application, so I started teaching history at the university level. At that point, I also started working on a Ph.D dissertation. I graduated with my doctoral degree in 2003 and I was very involved in a lot of research and conferences internationally. One day I traveled to Serbia, where I presented in a conference about securities, the Red Cross, and other new ideas for charity involvement. In this same conference, I met my future husband. He was presenting there for anti-terrorism issues, and he was working for INTERPOL during this time. We decided to get married later on, and I moved back to Russia and waited for my VISA so that I could move to the United States. He was working for the State Police at the time so I didn’t think that it would’ve been easy for him to find a job in Russia. It was much easier for me to move to America. I have lived in the United States since November of 2005. I’ve resided in Oregon, New Mexico, Illinois, and Washington D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in many places, including Central Asia.

How often do you travel?

I live permanently in the United States. We have a home here, but when my husband gets an assignment, for example, we go overseas for two to three years. Sometimes I travel with him and sometimes I don’t. We both went to Kyrgyzstan together and worked there for two and a half years. He’s traveled to other places, like Bosnia, by himself. The last international trip we took together was in 2011. We have lived in Virginia since 2017 and moved to Williamsburg in 2020 because my husband has transitioned again for a job.

Is this the first time you’ve taught at William & Mary?

Yes, I’m a history/military history professor for American Military University. I started working there in 2008. This was a slow transition because when I immigrated to the United States, I was still working for Far East Academy of Russia. I taught online classes there for 3 years. I built that program, actually. One class I created was called “History of the Holocaust” and a few classes in connection to World War II, specifically strategical military tactical classes that study the Battle of Stalingrad. So, from 2008, I have taught at American Military University for almost 14 years. We are always moving places so I always try to find a part time teaching job, because I miss being able to teach in a classical in-person environment. I have also worked at New Mexico Military University.

What is your favorite class or topic to teach as a historian?

I specifically like to teach, a class on “Resistance & Rescue” during the Holocaust. This is one of my favorites because we look at different rescues and organizations during World War II and underground movements as well as Jewish resistance. Another one of my favorites is “Survey of Russian History” which starts at the beginning of Russian history and it ends in modern Russian history. I would also say that I enjoy teaching Russian literature, as I have never taught Russian literature before. My understanding of history and culture does help in preparation for literature class. I can provide examples from the 19th century and explain how it is all connected, tying the political to the cultural.

What would you like to teach at William & Mary?

I would like to teach one class in the Russian program and one class in history because it would be interesting to share my historical knowledge and perspective in connection to Russia.

How often do you travel to Russia?

Every year I visit my family over there. I went back in April of this year. Usually, I stay there for about 3 weeks. I visit family and I travel. Usually, I go to the Black Sea, Moscow, Saint Petersburg... everywhere! I have a big family, but I do not have any siblings. I have traveled to 15-20 different countries around the world.

What do you find most interesting about Russian language and culture?

I think it is very unique, very specific, and even different from other Slavic languages. I can understand Serbian very well. I have many Serbian and Polish friends and I can say that all Slavic languages, such as Ukrainian, Polish, Serbian, are very close to each other, but Russian is separate. So many words don’t even have similar roots with other Slavic languages. This is probably because of the influence of the Mongolians on Russian history. Mongols and other nomadic groups influenced Russia. They changed Russia’s roots and direction. The Russian language is so unique, we have so many synonyms and many ways of expressing ourselves. If we compare English with Russian, English is too simple when constructing sentences, for example, but Russian is more emotional. In Russian, there are many more choices in how we can express ourselves. Take the word “beautiful,” for example. In English, we can find somewhere between 3-5 synonyms for it. But in Russian, we can find 12 synonyms for the word “beautiful.” This is a big difference.

Can you tell me about your dissertation research?

My dissertation was on the history and establishment of charity organizations in the Russian Far East in the 19th century until the Russian revolution. This was from 1884 until 1917. Why 1884? This was a time when the Russian Far East started growing in population, and the Trans-Siberian Railroad was being built. Because of this, people started moving to the Russian Far East. There was also the establishment of the governor's office at that time, which became a part of normal territorial Russia. This was similar to when Americans were moving out west. The government and private Russian charity organizations really helped people who immigrated to the Russian Far East; they built special programs which gave them things like cars, horses, and the ability to work on the new land. These programs provided them with needed money from banks, for example. It was a very well-built program. This was one part of my dissertation. The other target of my research was military families after the Russian-Japanese War. Another target of my dissertation research was former prisoners, political prisoners more specifically. The charity organizations helped them rebuild houses so that they could stay in the Far East. They did this because they did not want people to immigrate out of the country; they wanted former prisoners to stay. I also researched the Blue Cross organization. This was a specific organization created to help children and orphan children, mostly children who became orphans during World War I because their parents died during the war. I spent three years working in archives in St. Petersburg and other places. I have also published a 350-page monograph book which was about the history of the charity of the Far East.

Otyken

Undra Tsend

Otyken, a newcomer folk band that originated in the Russian Far East, has amassed millions of views and likes on TikTok– drawing in the attention of an international audience who has previously not been familiar with music from Siberia. Even in short clips, their song “Kukakacha'' proves catchy; and, commenters continually praise Otyken’s quirky lyrics and rhythm. Since their participation in the international festival Khoomei in the Center of Asia, Otyken has been able to bring attention to and widely promote Siberian folk music to the rest of Russia. Their music involves throat singing, saxophone, giant drums, and spontaneous vocalizations which imitate those of animals and nature. Inspired by ancient melodies, Otyken contends that their folk music is adaptable and complements various other genres, ranging from rock, to funk, to ethno-rave and more.

I’ve listened to various Russian songs (mostly upbeat mainstream pop) and diversifying my music tastes whilst improving my language skills seemed like a good move. Since I’ve already a strong liking for folk music, I have already found myself entering a rabbit hole listening to Otyken. Otyken’s official Instagram account is devoted to their fans, and content ranges from performance clips and photos of them donning their modernized traditional attire to intriguing videos highlighting the members’ day to day lives. Currently, their music is streaming on Youtube, Spotify, Yandex Music, and VK Music, with the latter two being large Russian internet-based companies that provide various services like music and e-commerce. With that said, I hope that Otyken’s music gains local, national, and international clout in the coming years. Check out their official website at otyken.ru.