Welcome from SRAS!
Welcome to 2007 and a new semester! SRAS wishes you health and success in your academic, personal, and business endeavours this year!
Many are predicting continued financial success for Russia in 2007 - and political uncertainty as President Putin prepares to step down in 2008 without an "heir apparent." In any case, Russia's place as an energy giant will make it of vital importance to the US economy and foreign policy. Continued study of the "enigma" must be encouraged and carried out. We hope we will be of some help in making sure this happens in the new year.
This month's newsletter focuses on an important part of the relations between the West and Russia - Eastern Europe, which is not only the location of many pipelines and transport networks, but an area where the two entities are still jostling for political, cultural, and economic influence.
News and Announcements
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С Новым Годом!
From the collection of Kim Balaschak. See below for more details! |
Free SRAS Calendar!
We are thrilled with the results of our photo contest "The Russia I Saw" which resulted in our 2007 SRAS Calendar, a collection of not-so-traditional images of Russia and thoughtful insights from our student winners. While supplies will soon run out, we would like to give our general readership (US only) a chance to request a copy – free! Send your request to rstillings@sras.org (include your mailing address) by Friday, January 12.
Literature from 2006
SRAS has also prepared a brief recommended list of some of the English-language literature that has emerged this year about Russia. Most has been written by Russians and praised for their insights into Russian culture and history.
SRAS Student Featured in Russia Profile
SRAS is proud to announce that Aaron Sander, an SRAS student studying at MGIMO, has had an analysis featured in Russia Profile, a respected news publication devoted to Russia. Read it here!
AAASS 2007 Deadlines
Please remember the deadline for submitting panel and roundtable proposals, and meeting room request forms for affiliate meetings for the 39th National Convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) is Friday, JANUARY 12, 2007. Click here for more information.
Russia in the Media
We've added synopsis of Russian television coverage of several major news events as well added a section devoted specifically to education and language issues. Be sure to check the "Near Abroad" section for coverage of Turkmenbashi's death, which could have major repercussions on Central Asia.
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See also upcoming events taking place in:
VA; NY; NY; NY; KY; NY; |
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 Languages in Conflict: The Case of Russia and Estonia
When Estonia became an independent state, it inherited a large Russian minority population which had held a privileged position and had never learned Estonian. As the country set about forging a Western, Estonian identity which dropped Russian as a national language, Russians in Estonia are left with a choice: learn the language or suffer economically. Read More
Moldovan Business: B. M. Gurfein, CEO of New Tech
Baruch M. Gurfein is a former AOL business development executive (ICQ) who is now Founding Partner & CEO at New Tech, which reaches from Moldova to Kyrgyzstan. Many of projects have centered on developing public utilities and infrastructure in these smaller FSU countries - and making a profit at it. Read More
A Trek Through Eastern Europe
Being a "stranger in a strange land" needn't be considered such a strange or dangerous thing to do and, in fact, I hope to encourage its practice as its educational value can be phenomenal. However, there are several things one should know before embarking. Read More
Ghosts of Holidays Past
Like most serious collectors, Kim Balaschak is an expert on the entire subject of what she collects. I listened to her talk in detail about the history of Christmas ornaments, with impressive amounts of names and dates and mediums from memory. But the history also bifurcated into several beautifully interrelated levels – mingling her own long and interesting history in Russia with the history of Russia itself as reflected in her collection. Read More
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Now is the time to start thinking about
summer study abroad!
Featured Program: Russian Studies Semester
Russian Studies Semester is for students hoping to build a career with ties to Russia and the NIS. Required courses set the foundation - history, current events, culture and the arts, economy, and politics. A range of electives allows students to pursue individual interests. All courses are taught in English and are designed to fulfill credit requirements in multiple areas.
Coming Soon: Russian Studies Summer!
A highly intensive course of language, history, culture, and more!
Fulbright Funding for American Scholars
Fulbright offers a wide range of flexible funding opportunities for American scholars hoping to study abroad in Russia. Graduating seniors, graduate students, post-graduates, educators, and researchers are all eligible to apply. See this new page for more information about your options!
Scholarships and Grants for Students and Scholars of Russian Studies
Please see this synopsis of all the scholarship announcements we've received over the past month. There are lots!
Grants for Russian Studies Educators
Seminars and Institutes foster excellent teaching through collegial discussion of humanities topics for teachers from grade school through college. Deadline: Mar 1 (more info)
Landmarks of American History and Culture is designed to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. This grant could be used to deliver information about Russian-American heritage. Deadline Mar 15 (more info)
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 Olga's Blog - Предметы обучения
This month, Olga describes the structure of her academic program at MGU - with attention given to how the system differs from the basic structure of most American university programs. The differences are actually quite striking! Part of her program includes physical education, and thus this month's edition also gives a focus on sport and exercise-related vocabulary.
Image of the Month: New Year Celebration
New Year's is the most important holiday on the Russian calendar. How did Russian celebrate? According to polls, most spent at least part of the day at home with family and friends. Many took to the streets to celebrate. A few chose more unique ways to celebrate, such as those pictured in this Image of the Month.
Language: Органы = Security Services (FSB and spies)
Органы (security services) were very powerful in the Soviet Union. They conducted activities both in Russia and abroad. Previously, the KGB (Committee of State Security) had several управлений (departments), and Первое управление (The First Department) was in charge of внешняя разведка (foreign intelligence). Later this department was reorganized as Служба внешней разведки (Foreign Intelligence Service).
Spying generally worked something like this: an aгент (agent) or штатный сотрудник органов (staff member of the security services) would recruit some осведомителей (informers) to collect necessary information. The agent would often работает под прикрытием (work under the cover) of some organization such as a diplomatic mission or company. If he был раскрыт (was discovered) by the enemy's контрразведка (counterintelligence service), this meant that the agent провалился or терпел провал (had failed). Sometimes the agent then switched sides and работал под контролем ("worked under control") to дезинформировать (misinform) his former bosses and spy for the former enemy. Sometimes he or she would become a двойной агент (double agent) and work for both sides. This could be lucrative position, but with the risk that either side might discover the arrangement and punish the agent for being a предатель (traitor).
There were агенты-женщины (female agents) in the KGB. However, the special services are reluctant to uncover the names of these ladies even nowadays. For example, there are no photos of female agents in the special services museum located in Lubyanka, the former KGB building. Female agent were often referred to as "ласточки" (swallows) and their operations were often called медовые ловушки (honey traps). The agent became a mistress of a prominent person (either Soviet or a foreign man) and extracted secrets from him. Similar tactics were used by male agents who would seduce and even marry female secretaries working in government offices in order to obtain sensitive information.
Spies are perhaps most famous for their ликвидационные операции (liquidating operations) abroad. It is officially recognized that Soviet security services arranged the murder of Leo Trotsky, and Russian Special Services claim that the last liquidating operation abroad was conducted on October 15, 1959, when the leader of radical Ukrainian nationalists Stepan Bandera was killed by an agent in Munich. However, there is now much debate in the West over the recent death of Alexander Litvinenko and whether he too may have been "liquidated."
Find more information (in Russian) at: http://svr.gov.ru/history/history.htm | 
