The SRAS Newsletter
A Resource for Students, Educators, and Anyone Curious about Russia
 Welcome from SRAS!
This past week, SRAS Director Renee Stillings attended the Global Technology Symposium at Stanford, held in Palo Alto, CA. Originally launched as the US-Russia Technology Symposium, it went global this year, addressing broader issues of innovation worldwide - but the non-US participants were still mainly Russian and Ukrainian. This, in our opinion, is a good thing. Russians have often been "late to the table" in the global technology market and having an early foothold in this Silicon Valley event ensures that Russia will remain strongly represented on all panels even as representatives of other technology centers (such as India and China) flock to this increasingly popular event covering topics as diverse as programming and alternative energy. Read more
As you contemplate a Russia-related career, it is important to notice that the professionals attending such conferences are not from extractive industries (oil, gas, minerals) but are venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, representatives of technology companies, and others gathering information on where the next "hot ideas" might develop and how to invest in them. For about information about Russian markets, see our "Obzori" below!
If you have views or material you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us.
News and Announcements
 Passport Delays! Passport agencies throughout the US are experiencing heavy workloads and significant delays. This is due to passports now be required for travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. If you are studying in June, express processing might be sufficient but we highly recommend making an appointment with your local passport agency and processing it the same day and in person (or using an agency who can do this on your behalf). Note that for a student visa to Russia, your passport must a) be valid for 18 months past the date you will exit Russia and b) have two clean opposing pages in it.
New Visa Registration Rules. As of January 1, 2007 new visa registration rules went into effect in Russia. If you will study at a Russian university you will receive assistance and simple instructions. However, if you are traveling on your own and will not stay in a hotel, this is something you need to take very seriously. While in recent years there was a "business" of simply buying visa registration - this is no longer possible. Make sure you question any agency providing you with visa support as to what will need to be done to get you registered and keep you legal. If the agency won't help or if they say it is purely your responsibility to find out how to do this, we recommend you find another agency that is more helpful. See our new Travel Services (below) for more info!
 SRAS Meets with LA Philharmonic. SRAS met with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in February. The group contacted SRAS for advice on contemporary Russian music for a concert series beginning May 24th. Josh Wilson and Andrei Nesterov, both of SRAS, are providing research support.
SRAS Meets Students in Los Angeles. Students in LA met SRAS to discuss visa and bureaucratic concerns affecting foreigners in Russia as well as health and safety concerns, and educational and professional opportunities. We hope to present at more universities this year.
Essay Contest from the State Department! In recognition of the 200th Anniversery of US-Russia Relations, the American Embassy to Russia is sponsoring an essay contest. For more info on how to participate, click here. For more information on the anniversery and the current state of US-Russia relations, see the featured "Obzor" in our news section below.
Обзоры: Learn About Russia and the FSU through the News
Russia's Near Abroad
There is new hope for freedom in Turkmenistan, shifting political winds in Belarus, and economic growing pains in Azerbaijan.
Feature: Russia's Growing Markets
Coca-Cola, Wall-Mart, Chevron, Starbucks, Microsoft, EMC, and others contemplate expansion in Russia. |
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See also: NPR's Series "The Resurgence of Russia" (story and audio); Foreign Exchange on US-Russia Relations (video); and Johnson's Russia List (print stories).
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 NGOs & Journalism: Career Paths for Students of Russia
Kimberly O'Haver attended SRAS's Russian Civilization Summer in 1997. She has since gone on to a remarkable career with NGOs and print media in Russia and the US. She offers insight and extensive advice for those interested in similar career paths.
Russian Icons in Detail
A new resource brought to you by SRAS and the Museum of Russian Icons, the only museum outside of Russia devoted to Russian Icons. It recently opened in Massachusetts!
Literary History on the Trans-Siberian
SRAS intern Sarah Kapp hops on board the Trans-Siberian, and comes back with a broader understanding of Russian literature.
The Library - A Growing Resource
Our project, "The Library," has now grown to thousands of annotated links devided into 22 major categories and scores of subcategories. These are designed to help those studying Russian or any subject concerning the FSU. A few of our favorite new additions are provided below:
Idioms.chat.ru offers a massive collection of Russian idioms with pictures and translations.
Moskva-Nostalgia is a collection of photographs of Moscow taken in the 70's and 80's.
20th Century Russian Theatre - everything you wanted to know on the subject!
Grand Illusions features several puzzles, including many designed by Russians.
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SRAS Work-Study Abroad!
Earn $300 per month while gaining experience writing, researching, and managing in Russia!
SRAS Travel Services
Even if you don't travel abroad on one of our educational programs or with a professor-led tour arranged by us, we still want your trip to be safe and hassle-free as travel abroad can be. That's what these new pages are all about.
Featured School: The London School, Bishkek
The London School is a fully accredited private language school in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, that offers a wide array of language (Russian and Kyrgyz), history, and cultural lessons, combined with extensive excursions at extremely competitive prices.
Featured Program: The Arts in Russia
The Arts in Russia, a studio art and art history program held in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg has been made even more flexible - just in time for enrolment this summer!
SRAS has many more available programs. Click here!
Scholarships and Grants for Students and Scholars of Russian Studies
An updated list of all deadlines for current Russia-related scholarship cycles.
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 Whose Blog is It?
Due to conflicts with her personal and university schedule, Olga has had to discontinue her participation in the Olga's Blog project. SRAS is currently working with another young student, however, and hopes to relaunch the Blog next month.
Image of the Month: Московский Зоопарк
Once a well-publicized reflection of the economic and bureaucratic chaos that followed the fall of the USSR, with half starved animals in dirty cages, the zoo has now found government funding and corporate sponsorship to renovate and again become a favored place of parents, children, and students.
Language: Законодательный процесс / Legislative process
Russia's законодательный процесс (legislative process) has several этапов (stages). First, a законопроект (bill) разрабатывается (is developed). The right to develop bills has been given to cубъектам права законодательной инициативы, (subjects with the right of legislative initiative): Президенту (the Russian President), депутатам Совета Федерации (Deputies of the Federation Council), депутатам Государственной Думы (Deputies of the State Duma), Правительству (the government - which includes the various organs and departments of the government), законодательным органам субъектов Российской Федерации (The Legislative Bodies of the Russian Territories). In addition, this right is given to several judicial bodies: Конституционному Суду (The Constitutional Court), Верховному Суду (The Supreme Court) and Высшему Арбитражному Суду (The High Court of Arbitration) within their competences.
A developed bill вносится (is introduced) to the Государственную Думу (State Duma, or the Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament) in the form of проектов (drafts of) федеральных конституционных законов (federal constitutional laws) and федеральных законов (federal laws) or поправок к законопроектам (amendments for bills).
Председатель Государственной Думы (the Chairman of the State Duma) sends the registered bill to the профильный комитет (relevant committee) which examines if the bill соответствует (complies with) регламенты (regulations) of the Russian Constitution and the Duma.
If the committee decides that the bill complies, Совет Государственной Думы (The State Duma Council) decides at the suggestion of the relevant committee to include the bill in the Duma agenda for очередную сессию (regular session).
Рассмотрение (The process of considering) bills is performed в трех чтениях (in three readings).
В первом чтении (during the first reading) концепция (the general concept) is discussed, and дается оценка (an assessment is given) for the bill's compliance with the Russian Constitution and an assessment is given on why the bill is needed.
К законопроекту, одобренному в первом чтении (For bills approved in this first reading), вносятся поправки (amendments are introduced). Поправки принимаются (amendments are made part of the bill) при рассмотрении законопроекта во втором чтении (during the second reading). В третьем чтении (during the third reading) no more amendments are allowed, and the law обсуждается в целом (is debated as a whole - in its final form).
Принятые Государственной Думой федеральные законы (federal laws adopted by the State Duma) передаются (are then submitted) на рассмотрение Совета Федерации (for the Federation Council's consideration). The Federation Council, which constitutes the Upper Chamber of Russian Parliament, is obliged to debate the law within 14 days.
A federal law is considered одобренным Советом Федерации (approved by the Federation Council) if за него проголосовало (it was voted for) by more than half of the членов палаты (Chamber Members).
After this, the law is sent to the President для подписания (for signing) и официального опубликования (and official publishing).
The President has право вето (the right of veto). If the President vetoes a law, the veto can be преодолено (overridden) by a two-thirds majority vote of the Federation Council. The president is entitled to impose veto only for federal laws. As for federal constitutional laws, the President must sign them after the Parliament's adoption.
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