REEIfication THE NEWSLETTER OF THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN INSTITUTE David L. Ransel, Director Janis Cakars, Editor Vol. 25, No. 2 April 2001

The Estonian Environment Ten Years After Feature Articles the Restoration of Independence by Eve Nilenders The Nature of Estonia 1 The following is an abridged version of a speech delivered as part of a program at The Year in Review 3 Indiana University commemorating Estonian Independence Day. Painting Czech Nationalism 5 This year marks the tenth anniversary of the restoration of Estonian indepen- Mediating Slovenia 6 dence. It is appropriate to speak about the Estonian environment at this time because Dov-Ber Kerler 8 environmental issues served as a catalyst in the movement to reestablish the Esto- Bulgaria’s Birthday 9 nian state. The first spark occurred in February 1987, when Moscow’s plans for a phospho- Three R’s in Roma 16 rite mine near Rakvere (northern Estonia) were discussed on a popular television nature show. The proposed mining operations threatened 40 percent of Estonia’s water supply. Taking advantage of the Soviet policy of glasnost, Tartu University students protested the mining plans, and mass demonstrations and public meetings ensued in Tallinn and Rakvere throughout the summer and fall. As a result of the Other News public outcry, the phosphorite project was delayed and, ultimately, canceled. Out of these events emerged an Estonian Green Movement, the first in the Soviet Union. It was founded in May 1989 and made its presence felt in a 5000-strong rally New from Slavica 2 in Tallinn the following month. The success of these early environmental protests helped to galvanize support Gender Studies in Latvia 7 for other protests and organizations that paved the way for independence. Many of Graduations 10 the leaders of the Popular Front, which spearheaded the movement for autonomy, Wajda Film Festival 10 were closely associated with the Green Movement. A common thread that ran through many of the groups that emerged in the late 1980s (including the Estonian Heritage Student News 12 Society, the Green Movement, and the Popular Front) was the theme of restoration— Teaching Central Europe 12 of Estonia’s historical and cultural monuments, its environment and its independence. Faculty News 13 An environmental balance sheet for the past ten years would reveal some areas of success—some promising trends—but also a few persistent problems. One encour- Alumni News 15 aging trend is that pollution levels have fallen sharply over the past decade. In terms Visiting Scholars 15 of water pollution, Estonia’s discharges of nitrogen and phosphorous, two nutrients Ukrainian Banking 18 whose overabundance have long threatened the Baltic Sea, were reduced by over 60 percent between 1990 and 1998. Air pollution has fallen at a similar rate. Mellon Awards 18 In 1992, the Helsinki Commission identified 132 environmental hot spots in the Oral History in Romania 19 Baltic Sea region that posed serious threats to the sea and the region’s inhabitants. Armstrong Competition 20 Of the 13 hot spots in Estonia, all except one have managed to reduce emissions over the period of the program. However, pollution reduction is proceeding much more slowly than expected—none of the remaining sites has reached even 50 percent of the specified goal. The details concerning the two Estonian hot spots that have been removed from the list indicate a Pyrrhic victory of sorts. These hot spots—and others along the eastern Baltic—are no longer considered a threat only because they have reduced or stopped production, rather than because they have successfully applied new technologies, as is the case at many delisted industrial hot spots in the Nordic countries. continued on page 11 2 Russian and East European Institute

Indiana University Russian and New from Slavica Publishers East European Institute The Learning and Teaching of Slavic Languages and Cultures INSTITUTE STAFF Olga Kagan and Benjamin Rifkin, eds. 704 pp., 2000 (ISBN 0-89357-292-6), hardcover, $39.95. David L. Ransel, Director Denise Gardiner, Assistant This major collection of essays surveys recent methodological developments in the Director/Outreach Coordinator art and science of teaching Slavic languages and cultures. The volume spans the full Jessica Hamilton, Administrative range of Slavic and reflects the rich diversity of approaches in this field, with three Secretary principal goals: 1) to illuminate for all Slavists the state of the art for foreign languages Chris Gigliotti, Advisor and in general in keynote papers; 2) to showcase current research in the Slavic field in the Project Administrator refereed papers; and 3) to raise important questions for consideration for the years to come in response papers. The final section of resource essays includes eight articles, GRADUATE ASSISTANTS which catalogue the textbooks and reference works available to support the teaching of Kara D. Brown, Outreach Assistant individual Slavic languages. These essays are also available in their entirety on our web Janis Cakars, Publications Editor site (follow the links from the books home page at ). The editors, contributors, and publisher are all committed to main- Slavic Bibliographer taining and updating these on-line resources in the future as well. Renne Traicova, World Wide Web The 37 articles are grouped into eight thematic sections: Administrator 1. The Proficiency Movement and Beyond (2 articles) CONTACT INFORMATION 2. Culture in the Language Classroom (4) Russian and East European Institute 3. Affective and Cognitive Issues (6) Ballantine Hall 565 4. Assessment (4) Indiana University 5. Technology (5) Bloomington, IN 47405-6615 6. Heritage Learners (4) Phone: (812) 855-7309 7. Teacher Training and Education (4) Fax: (812) 855-6411 8. Textbooks, References and Resources (8) Email: [email protected] http://www.indiana.edu/~reeiweb/ Kritika 2.1 Special Issue: The State of the Field: Russian History Ten Years After the Fall IU Awards for REEI Alumni From the Editors: “A Remarkable Decade” 1999 James F. Collins Symposium Honorary Doctorate Nancy Shields Kollmann: “Convergence, Expansion, and Experimentation: Current 1998 Stephen Cohen Trends in Muscovite History-Writing” College Distinguished Alumni Gary Marker: “The Ambiguities of the 18th Century” 1994 Irene Meister Thomas C. Owen: “Recent Developments in Economic History, 1700-1940” College Distinguished Alumni Alfred J. Rieber: “From Reform to Empire: Russia’s New Political History” REEI Distinguished Awards Gregory L. Freeze: “Recent Scholarship on Russian Orthodoxy: A Critique” Alain Blum: “Social History as the History of Measuring Populations: A Post-1987 ALUMNI AWARDS Renewal” 1988 Alexander Rabinowitch V.P. Buldakov: “Scholarly Passions around the Myth of Great October: Results of the 1988 Charles Gati Past Decade” 1995 Gale Stokes Gabor T. Rittersporn: “New Horizons: Conceptualizing the Soviet 1930s” 2000 Helena Goscilo Oleg Khlevniuk: “Stalinism and the Stalin Period after the Archival Revolution” SERVICE AWARDS Loren R. Graham: “The Birth, Withering, and Rebirth of Russian History of Science” 1988 Theofanis Stavrou Bruce W. Menning: “A Decade Half-Full: Post-Cold War Studies in Russian and 1988 Robert F. Byrnes Soviet Military History” 1989 Karen Niggle Review Articles 1996 Robert W. Campbell Laura Engelstein: “Culture, Culture Everywhere: Interpretations of Modern Russia, 1997 Charles Jelavich Across the 1991 Divide” 1997 Janet Rabinowitch David Rowley: “Interpretations of the End of the Soviet Union: Three Paradigms” 2000 William B. Edgerton Plus five in-depth reviews Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 3 Institute Director’s Notebook: The Year in Review by David L. Ransel

This newsletter closes the academic community in Bloomington, furnished Maria Bucur, and graduate student Jill year 2000/2001 and also marks the end of superb musicians from the School of Massino will be in Brasov to train Roma- my fifth year as director. I want to take Music and a groaning board of tasty nian students and teachers and to coop- this opportunity to thank the many per- foods. A wonderful addition to our na- erate in their research on the history of sons who contribute to the success of tional day celebrations! Brasov under the communist regime. the institute, including staff, faculty, stu- While the teaching and service con- Their efforts to create an “oral history dents, alumni, and university administra- tributions of our faculty are the heart and archive of life under communism” will fo- tors. The spirit of cooperation that flour- soul of the daily work of the institute, the cus on the memory of World War II, de- ishes among all these people is extraordi- extraordinary productivity of our faculty portations to the Soviet Union, gender nary and greatly eases the job of the di- in advancing knowledge through research relations, and ethnic relations. rector and senior staff. publication is sometimes forgotten or At the same time, Alexander The students have been a particular taken for granted. In order to bring greater Rabinowitch, who served as director of source of enthusiasm and energy for our attention to this aspect of their work, we REEI and dean for international programs, programs. We have always benefited from inaugurated this year a spring reception returned from a research trip to St. Pe- a large number of weekly meetings for lan- and book party at which the authors and tersburg with the news that people at the guage practice and celebrations of na- editors of book publications in the past European University of St. Petersburg tional holidays of the countries we study. two years were recognized and their wanted to start an oral history program But I cannot remember when these events works displayed. In subsequent years, the and had heard about IU’s reputation in have been so enthusiastically developed reception will display works published in this field. We put together a team of our and attended as they have been this year. the previous year. We were happy to see most experienced people and developed Students do the major part of the work in our many active and retired faculty, staff, a grant proposal in partnership with our organizing these events. Weekly meetings students, visiting scholars, alumni and St. Petersburg colleagues for a study of include the Russian tea hour on Tues- friends at the reception, which is more war and memory, focusing initially on the days and Russian lunch at the Dowling than a book party. It is also one of our memory of the Leningrad siege. Alex Center on Wednesdays, and on a variety opportunities to thank publicly all of the Rabinowitch, who for many years taught of other days Polish, Romanian, Hungar- people who support the work of the insti- a course on World War II in Russia, and ian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Latvian, and tute and its affiliated programs. Nina Perlina, professor of Slavic literature Finnish coffee hours. The annual Polish International cooperation is an in- and editor of a volume of women’s mem- studies Christmas party is a treasured and creasingly important part of what we do oirs of the siege (in press), will back up always heavily attended event. It was at REEI. I wanted to report on an unusu- the oral history team as advisors with joined this year by new gatherings of simi- ally productive synergy that has been specialized knowledge of the people and lar scope: Dowling Center receptions for developing over the past few years be- events of the time. Romanian studies and Baltic-Finnish tween REEI-affiliated faculty and stu- True to REEI’s legacy of giving as studies. dents and the IU Oral History Research much attention to East European affairs We are proud, too, of our long tradi- Center (soon to be renamed the Center as to Russian, we have again this year tion of national-day celebrations for Hun- for History and Memory). We began work- mounted a number of major events fo- gary, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia whose ing with oral historians in Romania as cusing on Eastern Europe or on the rela- programs combine solemnity and gaiety early as 1996 and mounted a major work- tions between Eastern Europe and Rus- in equal measure, not to mention marvel- shop in Cluj-Napoca in 1997 to inaugu- sia. Early in the school year, a major con- ous spreads of food from the nations be- rate the Center for Oral History at Babes- ference on “Polonophilia and ing celebrated. This year a new celebra- Bolyai University. We subsequently Polonophobia of the Russians” brought tion was added. A Bulgarian indepen- brought scholars from that center to IU leading scholars to IU to present work on dence day event broke upon us with such for additional training. Professor Maria the importance of Polish culture and poli- passion and beauty that it left everyone Bucur and Dr. Barbara Truesdell of IU tics in shaping Russian identity and in in delighted exhaustion. Renne Traicova, have been the key persons involved with mediating the relationship of Russia to a dual-degree student in REEI and SPEA, this work. This semester, with their coop- the European world. Professor Bozena last year’s Byrnes Fellow and a graduate eration, REEI won a grant from the Aspera Shallcross and I cooperated in organiz- assistant at REEI this year, was the prin- Foundation to partner with a new oral his- ing the conference, and we are now at cipal organizer. She recruited and intro- tory program at Transylvania University work on publication of the essays pre- duced to us the large Bulgarian student of Brasov. This summer Barbara Truesdell, sented there. Russian and East European Institute

4 Russian and East European Institute

This semester a number of leading East strong foreign language component and tory in the near future. European intellectuals visited campus to incentives for study abroad. I am particularly pleased with the re- participate in a series of round tables, dis- Other signs of the strength of REEI as newal of our strength in political science. cussing critical issues of politics and so- we emerge from the post-cold war adjust- Jack Bielasiak and Dina Spechler continue cial relations in the countries of the re- ment can be seen in the rebuilding of key to teach and write on the East European gion. Among the visitors were Mikos elements of our teaching departments. Our transition and Russian foreign policy re- Haraszti, a Hungarian dissident writer and traditional strength in economics is sus- spectively. To their efforts are now added political activist, and Mihaela Miroiu, a tained by Michael Alexeev and Roy those of Henry Hale, who arrived in Au- leading Romanian expert on issues of Gardner with backup of a more theoreti- gust to teach Russian and comparative gender and on right-wing politics in East- cal orientation from Michael Kaganovich. politics, and Aurelian Craiutu, a Roma- ern Europe. Geoff Eley, a history profes- Robert W. Campbell, though “retired” for nian-born specialist in political philoso- sor at the University of Michigan, also a few years, has taken on lengthy foreign phy who will begin teaching courses on participated. Our own faculty specialists tours, consulting in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, East European political ideas next fall. I on these issues, Maria Bucur, Jeffrey and Kyrgyzstan, and continues to guide am also happy to report that Professor Isaac, and Jeffrey Yvette Alex-Assensoh, a Wasserstrom, played the specialist in urban politics principal role in organizing in the United States, is the visits and were central to teaching this year on a the challenging discussions Fulbright in Zagreb and has that emerged from them on received a research grant to questions of human rights, compare minority politics in women’s equality, political Croatia with those else- violence, and threats to de- where. mocracy. Rigorous language in- The adjustment of our struction has always been program to the continually a hallmark of IU’s programs changing shape of world in Russian and East Euro- politics and global economic pean studies, and our train- integration continues. Close ing in other fields relies on cooperation existed for many the expertise of our schol- years between REEI and our The inaugural REEI book party ars and teachers in the De- sister programs in the cen- partment of Slavic Lan- ters for West European studies and Cen- REEI students through their master’s the- guages and Literature. Like its counter- tral Eurasian studies, allowing graduate sis work. Nicholas Spulber, too, contin- parts around the nation, the department and undergraduate students to fashion ues a vigorous research and publication is going through a period of adjustment. individual programs of study that com- program and has just completed a major The department experienced a spike in en- bined elements of the three programs. The historical study of Russian economic tran- rollments at the time of perestroika and boundaries between these programs will sitions from early modern times to the Gorbymania, but this was unusual and become even more porous now that we present. unsustainable. Enrollments at IU, as else- have developed a cooperative under- Our Department of History, despite where, have retreated to the levels com- graduate major in European Studies, some losses to retirement, is still among mon in the 1970s and early 1980s. The which is currently moving through the the largest in the nation. Ben Eklof, Jef- department is adjusting to these more fa- bureaucratic approval process. The new frey Veidlinger, and I cover Russia proper, miliar conditions and developing plans major can be entered through any of the while Hiroaki Kuromiya teaches about for the future that will consolidate its three cooperating programs, each of Russia and Ukraine, and Toivo Raun strengths and ensure its continued sup- which will maintain its separate and dis- about Russia and the Baltic. Alexander port of the other segments of our training tinctive identity, traditions, and focus. At Rabinowitch in retirement remains an ac- programs. Finally, the Summer Workshop the same time, the College of Arts and tive researcher, a frequent visitor to Rus- in Slavic, East European and Central Asian Sciences is putting together an under- sia, and mentor to graduate students. Languages, under the guidance of Jerzy graduate major in International Studies. Maria Bucur, our newest specialist on Kolodziej, celebrated its 50th anniversary We are cooperating closely in this effort. Eastern Europe, is rapidly rebuilding our last year and is still going strong. Last We believe that it is long overdue and traditional strength in that field, and the summer, instruction was offered in 14 lan- will greatly increase campus-wide under- department has just made a commitment guages of the region, and we expect to graduate interest in international affairs. to assist her in this effort by hiring an The program is being designed with a additional person in East European his- continued on page 19 Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 5 Institute The Geography of Nationalism in Late Nineteenth Century Czech Landscape Painting by Kathlaine Nyden

On May 16, 1868 thousands of spec- pears to lack explicit nationalist subject landscape. It is both a repository and a tators gathered to view a procession of matter. Otakar Novy suggests that “The reminder of latent power. The uniqueness monoliths ceremoniously paraded romantic paintings of Julius of Marak’s landscape imagery is appar- through the streets of Prague to their fi- Marak were to remind visitors that they ent when compared with the work of other nal destination, the future site of the Na- are on the soil of the historical lands of landscape artists. tional Theater. These stones, excavated the Czech Crown.” This analysis of In another example, Hradcany, from politically and historically significant Marak’s imagery is too simplistic and fails Prague’s medieval castle is situated on a sites throughout the Czech countryside, to evaluate critically the landscape cycle. hilltop surrounded by valleys and bathed formed both a literal and a metaphorical On one level, Marak’s images appear to in silvery light. Marak eliminates visual foundation for the first Czech language be straightforward depictions of obstacles from the structure’s immediate theater in Prague and underscored the Bohemia, the western-most region of the surroundings so that our site-line is un- symbolic role of the Czech geographic Czech lands. But further examination of impeded. We view the castle from a posi- landscape in the theater’s creation. the images’ style, content, and context tion well above the foreground structures, Nineteenth-century depictions of the suggest a different agenda. but still at a slightly lower angle than the Czech countryside were charged charac- In the painting Rip, a young female castle complex. As a result, it appears terizations of the Czech homeland, the Bohemian peasant gazes at the distant solitary and physically inaccessible. Lo- quintessential example of which can be mountain for which the image is named. cated in the historic center of Prague, this seen in the thematic mural programs com- According to legend, the site is associ- castle was erected by the Premyslid Prince missioned for the National Theater. In this ated with a prominent fifth-century belli- Borivoj on a hill that was home to an an- series, the artistic team of Mikolas Ales, cose ruler from whom the Czechs claim cient Slav settlement. Frantisek Zenisek, and the landscape descent. The central focus of the image Czech legends affirm that whoever painter Julius Marak actualized the na- is this illuminated mountain in the back- occupied the castle ruled the Czech lands. tional landscape for theater patrons. The ground, which is presented to the viewer During the last half of the nineteenth-cen- images codify the rhetoric of cultural and by the peasant. She connects the con- tury the castle was uninhabited, and there political nationalism, creating a virtual temporary nation with this ancient settle- was no Bohemian crown prince. This iconography of national identity. To cul- ment and thereby creates an unbroken myth is particularly relevant to Marak’s turally literate audiences, the monumen- and uncorrupted hereditary link between cycle in view of its location in the royal tal mural programs recast specific sites of the past and the present. Furthermore, the box of the National Theater. national political importance, thereby re- National Theater’s main foundation Stanley Kimball suggests that the constructing the geographic kingdom stone, quarried from this mountain, bears royal box was a “political symbol pur- within the National Theater building. the inscription, “From [where] Rip Father posely included [in the National Theater] Throughout the National Theater, ex- Czech acquired his home, perfect to the to emphasize the existence of the Bohe- amples actualizing the nation are found. time of White Mountain; now in Mother mian kingdom as distinct from the Em- For example, located above the main stair- Prague it will rise again from the dead.” pire.” In addition to Marak’s paintings, case, on the left, is Allegory of the Czech The geographic specificity of this land- the canopy of the royal box was deco- Lands. Heraldry, the Bohemian crown jew- scape imagery functions as a map in rated with a replica of St. Vaclav’s crown els, and a lion appear alongside the per- which this politically and historically sig- rather than the imperial two-headed eagle. sonification of the Czech lands Moravia, nificant site—the same site from which When Prince Rudolf attended the and Silesia. Prague, on the right, is seated the theater’s foundation stone was theater’s opening, he did so as an impe- in glory holding the city’s coat of arms culled—is recast as a politically charged rial representative, not as Czech royalty, and staff. Her crown resembles the battle- monument to Czech resurrection. but seated in the box he was surrounded ments of Prague’s ancient castle, which The image Blanik functions in much by politically charged images of the Bo- is represented in the distant landscape. the same way. According to legend, the hemian kingdom. The mountains Blanik These allegorical representations of the mountain of Blanik shelters a cavalry of and Rip, as well as Prague’s castle, repre- homeland are explicit examples of nation- sleeping Taborite warriors who may be sent latent power and recall earlier times alism. But there is a unique mural cycle in called upon to defend the nation when when the nation, through a show of force, the National Theater, which is consis- the need arises. Compositionally similar sought independence from foreign op- tently overlooked by scholars. to Rip, the central focus is the mountain pression. Julius Marak’s landscape cycle ap- bathed in light. It is not simply a bucolic continued on page 17 Russian and East European Institute

6 Russian and East European Institute

Reflections on Directions in the Slovene Media by Tinca Stokojnik

In the seventh century, Slovenes were broadcast but has drifted toward the po- tial new media moguls from attempting to living in their own state for the first and litical center. It continues to serve as a make it in the Slovene market. In 1998, last time until 1991. The state was called major training ground for Slovene jour- however, the owners of the popular con- Karantanija, and the Karantanians voted nalists. servative magazine Mag tried again. They for their aristocracy. Pretty impressive for Other post-independence media have established Jutranjik (The Morning Pa- a time when tribal wars pervaded Europe had more difficulty. In Slovenia, most of per). No luck again. This newspaper and power was often transferred by vio- the old media outlets still exist while new folded after fewer than 20 issues. lence. ones have perished quickly after trying This leaves Slovenes with four dailies, Despite early democratic inclinations to make room for themselves in a sparsely three of which have very familiar names Slovenes had to re-learn democracy after populated country. The main reason for since they have been around for decades. regaining independence ten years ago. their failure is market competition and Delo (Work) is by far the most success- Tito had steered Yugoslavia away from dependence on advertising revenue. ful. The largest Slovene newspaper since the Soviet model of communism, and the Naturally, only those publishers that al- World War II, it had a solid infrastructure social order differed in many ways from ready commanded a wide audience sur- and quickly emerged as a Slovene media the oppressive communist systems of vived. giant. Its circulation averages around other eastern European states. Neverthe- There were three attempts at establish- 90,000. The company that owns Delo also less, building democracy in Slovenia has ing new daily newspapers in the 1990s, publishes the tabloid Slovenske Novice proved to be a challenge. all marked by different political orienta- (average circulation 110,000 copies). Delo The media played a major role in shap- tions. First came Slovenec (The Slovenian), is connected with the company Delo ing a political agenda that led Slovenian which took its name from a conservative Revije that publishes 17 magazines and representatives to walk out of the newspaper that existed in the early 20th controls more than 50 percent of the Yugoslav government in 1991. The two century, at the time of the emergence of Slovene magazine market. Two other daily main players were Mladina, a liberal the first Yugoslavia (The Kingdom and newspapers have survived the market weekly news magazine, and “Radio Stu- later the State of Slovenes, Croats and transition: Dnevnik (The Daily), along dent,” a quirky, radical radio station trans- Serbs). The first Slovenec was the organ with its weekly tabloid Nedeljski dnevnik, mitting in Ljubljana and its outskirts. They of the Christian Democrats, one of the and Vecer (The Evening), which is popu- each attacked the Yugoslav government most important parties at the time. After lar mainly in the northeastern region. in their own way. Mladina took a serious 1991, the Christian Democrats again be- Broadcasting is divided between pub- journalistic approach by serving as a came one of the strongest political par- lic and private radio and television op- watchdog and exposing the wrongdoings ties in Slovenia. They established erations. The public broadcast corpora- of communist party officials. Radio Stu- Slovenec with their eyes set on past tion is RTV Slovenia. It is a conglomera- dent took a punk approach in terms of glory. The then prime minister, a Chris- tion of the old TV Ljubljana, which musical content and a general anti-estab- tian Democrat, funded the paper with 2 changed its name to TV Slovenia and of- lishment ethic. Radio Student journalists million German marks in the name of di- fers two programs, and Radio Slovenia, expressed their views through alternative versifying the Slovene media scene. It did which has three channels. youth culture and abrasive political com- not work. Although Slovenians are over Before December 1995 not much could mentary. These two media outlets not 90 percent Catholic and usually vote in be said of private television stations. only played a political role, but also led a substantial numbers for the Christian There were some, but they were limited movement towards civic journalism. Democrats, the paper folded after six un- to very small areas and their earnings After independence was achieved, profitable years. were insignificant. In 1995, however, POP Mladina continued publication and be- A year after Slovenec appeared, the TV emerged, backed by Central European came one of the most respected news left-wing Republika hit the newsstands Media Enterprises (CME), a US company outlets in the country. It is especially no- in 1992. It was seen as a political project— that now pervades most of the commer- table for its investigative journalism. a baby of the Christian Democrats’ com- cial television market in eastern Europe. However, conservatives have no appe- petitor, the Liberal Democrats, who are POP TV immediately succeeded with its tite for it because of its liberal leanings. A currently the ruling party in Slovenia. predictable feed of primarily American magazine called Mag is now successfully Much like Slovenec, Republika soon programming. Scandinavian Broadcast- serving the conservative part of the popu- perished as well. ing System (SBS) followed suit in 1997, lation. Radio Student also continues to These two failures scared most poten- buying the fledgling Kanal A television Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 7 Institute station and becoming successful in a simi- lar way. A year ago CME bought Kanal A, Gender Studies at the University of Latvia which continues to provide its own pro- by Mara Lazda gramming. These two channels command most of the Slovene television audience. Radio Slovenia has much competition One of the highlights of my disserta- lieves, is to make gender studies litera- from a wave of new commercial radio sta- tion research year in Latvia (1999-2000) ture available. The center has built a small tions. Most offer contemporary dance was the opportunity to work with the na- library—based largely on donations from music, hourly news bulletins, and never- scent Gender Studies Center at the Uni- the Soros Foundation, Network of East- ending “contact shows” in which listen- versity of Latvia. West Women, and Nordic Institutions— ers call in and engage in essentially mind- The center was founded in January and seeks to make this scholarship ac- less chat and music requests. 1998 on the initiative of several univer- cessible in Latvian and Russian. Schol- The Slovene media have adapted— sity women lecturers led by Irina ars at the center also produce books. more or less successfully—to the new Novikova, now the center’s director, Ieva Forthcoming publications include Too market situation. Slovene democracy Zake, and the center’s coordinator, Early? Too Late? Feminist Ideas, Dis- could benefit from the addition of more Elizabete Picukane. Women’s and gender courses, Languages (a Latvian-Nordic media voices, but this is not likely to hap- studies were beginning to grow in the collection of essays in Latvian); Anthol- pen. The market is simply too small since 1990s, but lacked an interdisciplinary ap- ogy of Contemporary Feminist Theories the Slovene population hovers slightly proach, and these scholars sought to cre- (in Latvian); and Nira Yuval-Davis’ Gen- below 2 million. ate such a forum for communication, re- der and Nation (in Russian). The political orientation of most search, and, most significantly according The center’s international partner- Slovene media is neutral, although the to Novikova, training for young scholars ships have facilitated the training of PhD mainstream media are often attacked by of gender studies. After the center’s scholars in gender studies. In July 2000, conservative politicians and commenta- founders convinced the university com- the center held a PhD training seminar tors as “leftovers from the past,” “gov- munity of the significance of gender stud- sponsored by the Nordic Academy of ernment propaganda” (the government ies, they received space and a telephone Advanced Study called “Gender, Religion, has for most of the time been predomi- line from the university. International or- Ethnicity: Comparative Cultural Anthro- nantly left of center), or are even accused ganizations, however, continue to provide pological Perspectives,” which brought of being vehicles for a mysterious com- the bulk of the center’s material and aca- together scholars and PhD students from munist conspiracy led by current presi- demic support. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Northwestern dent Milan Kucan. These accusations are In the last three years, the center has Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. exaggerated. Nothing this exciting is hap- made significant contributions to the de- This year’s seminar is sponsored by the pening in Slovene media. But the centrist velopment of gender studies in Latvia and Higher Education Support Program and blandness of Slovene media may be a abroad. One of the main goals of the cen- the Soros Foundation and is titled “Men problem in the long run. Investigative re- ter is to introduce women’s and gender and Masculinities.” These seminars are porting is limited to the efforts of Mladina studies into the core curriculum at the significant not only for the opportunity and Mag magazines and public university, and each semester teachers they provide for gender studies schol- television’s news program “Odmevi” from the center offer several courses in ars, but also because they are helping to (“Echoes”). In a democracy that is still Latvian, English, and Russian on such build an academic community between growing, critical media are necessary. topics as gender and poverty, gender and Northeastern and Northwestern Europe. Slovene journalists do not need to go law, and gender and religion. For course Thanks largely to the energy and dedi- back to the revolutionary journalism that instruction, the center draws on the ex- cation of its founders, the Center of Gen- led to independence, but keeping some pertise of scholars from several Latvian der Studies at the University of Latvia of that relentlessly critical spirit alive universities and colleges as well as visit- has succeeded in creating a much-needed would be healthy for Slovene democracy. ing lecturers from Great Britain, the United forum for the study of gender in Latvia. States, Australia, Norway, and Finland, such as Oystan Holter, R. W. Connell, and Aili Nenola. In addition, the center Mara Lazda is a PhD candidate in the reaches out beyond the academic sphere History Department. For more informa- Tinca Stokojnik to work with local women’s non-govern- tion on gender studies in Latvia, write is a graduate student from mental organizations. to: University of Latvia. Center of Slovenia in the Indiana University One of the first steps in developing Gender Studies. Office 133. Raina School of Journalism. gender studies in Latvia, Novikova be- Blvd. 19 Riga LV 1586, Latvia. Russian and East European Institute

8 Russian and East European Institute

Dov-Ber Kerler Assumes Dr. Alice Field Cohn Chair in Yiddish Studies

Dov-Ber Kerler, one of the foremost gration to Israel at the age of thirteen, he also contributed to the revival of Yiddish authorities on Yiddish linguistics today, turned to modern Hebrew language and in Lithuania by serving as the director has been appointed to the Dr. Alice Field literature and then went on to specialize and a member of the faculty of the inten- Cohn Chair in Yiddish Studies at Indiana in Yiddish at Hebrew University in Jerusa- sive Yiddish summer program at the Uni- University. His appointment should po- lem. He completed his doctorate at Ox- versity of Vilnius. sition IU as a leading center of Yiddish ford in 1988 and that year was appointed Kerler’s ability to clarify linguistic mat- language and literature, not just in North as a research fellow at Lincoln College, ters to non-specialists comes to the fore America, but worldwide. Oxford. most vividly in his classroom teaching. At Oxford University, where he previ- In addition to his scholarship and At Oxford, Professor Kerler taught a wide ously taught, Professor Kerler was range of courses, including “Sociol- Porter Foundation Fellow in Yiddish ogy of Yiddish,” “Modern Yiddish Language and Literature as well as a Poetry,” “Yiddish Poetry in the So- member of the Oxford Center for He- viet Union,” “Readings in Pre-Mod- brew and Jewish Studies. He was also ern Yiddish Literature,” “Advanced associated with the faculty of Orien- Yiddish,” and a graduate course on tal Studies and the faculty of Medi- Yiddish dialectology. He also taught eval and Modern Languages and Lit- courses at the Moscow State Univer- eratures at Oxford. sity of Humanities. Kerler is one of the few scholars At IU, Professor Kerler will con- born after World War II who is at home tinue his work on a history of literary in the Yiddish, Hebrew, and Slavic cul- Yiddish and will edit with J. Berkowitz tures. His recent book, The Origins a new periodical of Yiddish scholar- of Modern Literary Yiddish (Oxford ship, Oksforder Shriftn. He will also University Press, 1999), is among the complete texts for elementary and in- first systematic attempts to trace the termediate level Yiddish courses and beginnings of modern literary Yiddish. edit with V. Chernin an anthology of It is a significant contribution to the Yiddish poets born after World War study of the crystallization process II. of literary languages, tracing the ori- Kerler’s appointment as the Dr. gins of modern literary Yiddish to gen- Alice Field Cohn Chair is made pos- Dov-Ber Kerler at the REEI book party erally forgotten authors of the eigh- sible by a major gift to the Jewish teenth century. A second book, edited by teaching, Kerler demonstrates remarkable Studies Program from Alice and Ted Cohn Professor Kerler, Politics of Yiddish (Alta energy in academic administration and of New York City. Alice, a devoted Mira Press, 1998), is devoted to examin- editing. He has edited and published Yiddishist, graduated from IU in 1945 and ing the politics of Yiddish language, lit- three volumes of Oksforder yidish, two has had a distinguished career as a psy- erature, ethnography, and scholarship. volumes of Winter Studies in Yiddish, two chologist and psychotherapist. Ted Cohn Kerler’s articles include notable studies volumes of Avrom Nokhem Stencl Lec- is a leading consultant on the manage- of Old Yiddish literature, Soviet Yiddish tures, and four volumes of the literary jour- ment of family firms and the author of language and literature, modern Yiddish nal Yerushalayimer almanakh. In 1984, several books on business and the stylistics, the correlation of Yiddish he began to co-direct, with Professor economy. Thanks to the Cohns’ vision dialectological evidence with non-linguis- Dovid Katz, the world-renowned Oxford and generosity, Yiddish language, litera- tic cultural features of East European summer program in Yiddish. A decade ture, and culture courses, long a dream Jewry, and interrelationships between later, they initiated Yiddish Pen, for three for the Jewish Studies Program, will now modern Hebrew and Yiddish. years the world’s only literary and aca- become a permanent reality at IU. The son of Moscow dissident Yiddish demic monthly in Yiddish. In the summer poet Joseph Kerler, Dov-Ber Kerler grew of 1999, he organized at Oxford the Gradu- Reprinted with changes from The up in a household steeped in modern Yid- ate Seminar in Yiddish Studies and the Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish dish literature, and he excelled as a boy in first International Workshop on Yiddish Studies Program Annual Newsletter, both Yiddish and Russian. Upon his emi- Theatre, Drama, and Performance. He has Volume 19, Fall 2000. Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 9 Institute When Is Bulgarian Independence Day? by Renne Traicova

On March 1 a commemoration of Bul- of separate (or independent) Bulgarian Independent Bulgarian Orthodox Church garian Independence Day was held at national identity and Bulgaria’s contribu- and the creation of an independent state. Indiana University. In many countries, tion to European and Slavic civilization. These efforts culminated in a significant secular holidays are based on honoring Why not the date on which the Congress Bulgarian uprising against Ottoman oc- historic events or the birthdays of na- of Berlin redefined the boundaries of Bul- cupation in 1876. This event was followed tional heroes. History, however, is rewrit- garia (shortly after the Treaty of San by a two-year Russo-Turkish war and the ten and reinterpreted by different genera- Stefano)? On this date, the Bulgarian bor- establishment of a Russian protectorate tions and does not remain statically de- ders came to closely resemble the current in Bulgaria. Given these developments, fined. Hence, it is plausible that indepen- boundaries of the country. Why not leave skeptics contend that the Treaty of San dence day is also a dynamic concept that September 9, 1944 as Independence Day? Stefano “sold” Bulgaria to Russia and changes over time. This is especially true After all, people had been celebrating this therefore should not mark the official in- for societies that are undergoing funda- date for decades before switching to dependence day of Bulgaria. But every mental political and economic changes March 3 in 1989. If one adheres to the empire or nation has strategic or political such as the ones in Eastern Europe after literal meaning of the word “indepen- interests. The bigger problem here, some the collapse of communism. Bulgaria, dence,” it might be appropriate to make critics contend, is that Bulgaria did not with its long and perplexing history, is October 5, 1908 Independence Day. On actively take part in the San Stefano one of those countries in which the date this date Prince Ferdinand declared Bul- Agreement. They argue that it is inap- and meaning of Independence Day are garia to be officially independent from the propriate for Bulgaria to celebrate the vic- ardently debated among scholars, politi- Ottoman Empire. This list could be ex- tory of another country as its national cians, students, and others. tended even further, considering that holiday. Before the events of 1989, Bulgaria had Bulgaria has had three officially declared Over thirteen centuries, Bulgaria has no publicly stated doubts that Septem- states in its history. How about First In- been conquered and liberated many times. ber 9, 1944 was the appropriate national dependence Day, Second Independence Deciding which liberation date should be independence day. On this date the Red Day, and Third Independence Day? Why the official Bulgarian Independence Day Army stormed into Bulgaria, “liberated” choose March 3, when the current Bul- is rather subjective. Valid arguments are the country from the Nazis (although garian borders are not even close to made for each of these days, but ulti- Bulgaria officially sided with Germany in matching the boundaries established un- mately the decision is subject to the scru- World War II), and established a commu- der the Treaty of San Stefano? The an- tiny of the current political regime. March nist regime. After 1989, however, March swer to this question rests in past and 3, 1878, however, did lay the foundation 3, 1878, the date that marks the country’s present interpretations of political and of Bulgarian statehood after a five-cen- liberation from 500 years of Ottoman oc- historical reality. tury interruption. Whatever the historic cupation, was declared to be the official Skeptics argue that March 3, 1878 realities may have been, this event re- national holiday. On this date the Treaty should not be considered independence vived the dormant national spirit of the of San Stefano between the Russian and day because they believe that the mo- Bulgarian people. Perhaps the symbolic Ottoman governments was signed. This tives of the Russian Empire were not so value of this date as a marker of the re- document stipulated that Bulgaria was much to liberate Bulgaria as to establish birth of a nation is more important than being “liberated” and established as an a Russian protectorate state and reassert historical realities or interpretations if it independent nation, with access to the their influence on the European continent. instilled and continues to instill a sense Aegean Sea in the south and the Black In order for Russia to have strategic in- of national pride in the people of Bulgaria. Sea in the east. Precisely why Bulgarian fluence in the Balkans, it needed to es- The debate over independence day, how- historians and politicians decided to make tablish itself as the “protector” and “lib- ever, may be waning as Bulgaria heads this the official national holiday is at the erator” of the Balkan peoples. In 1812 the towards losing its sovereignty yet center of the current debates regarding tsar enthusiastically supported the Greek again—this time by voluntarily joining the independence day. Why not choose the national liberation movement, and in 1830 European Union. date when the Bulgarians, first among all he signed an agreement with the sultan Slavic people, received the Cyrillic alpha- for the independence of Greece and for Renne Traicova is a graduate student bet or the date when Bulgaria converted the autonomy of parts of Serbia. By the in the School of Public and Environ- to Christianity? These two events, one 1870s Bulgarians began to organize a mental Affairs and the Russian and may argue, underlie the initial formation movement for the reestablishment of the East European Institute. Russian and East European Institute

10 Russian and East European Institute Graduations Film Festival PhD Dissertation Defenses Celebrates Slavic Languages and Literatures Andrzej Wajda Natalie L. Borovikoff (February 2000): “Unaccusativity and Movement in Russian: by Mark Betka Integrating Formal Syntax and Discourse Functions” Andrea McDowell (January 2001): “Situating the Beast: Animal Imagery in Nine- A near-capacity crowd was in atten- teenth- and Twentieth-Century Russian Literature” dance for the Bloomington premiere of Pan Tadeusz as the Polish Studies History Center’s Andrzej Wajda Film Festival Barbara Allen (March 2001): “Worker, Trade Unionist, Revolutionary: A Political drew to a close on Friday, March 2. In Biography of Alexander Shliapnikov, 1905-1922” three segments from February 15 to Won Yong Park (October 2000): “Struggles for Proletarianizing Higher educational March 2, the festival provided students, Institutions: Rabfaks During the First Decade of Soviet Power, 1919-1928” faculty, and the Bloomington community with an opportunity to enjoy a wide vari- Economics ety of Wajda’s works. Stefan Reiss Osborne (July 1999): “Taxation and Evasion in the Presence of Extortion Designed as a comprehensive retro- by Organized Crime” spective of Wajda’s career, the festival Lyaziza G. Sabyrova (August 2000): “Inflation, Investment, and Savings under Mar- featured some of his early works, through ket Reforms: Essays on the Dynamics of Transition” his examinations of Poland’s struggles during the turbulent 1970s and 1980s, to Business his more recent attempts to bring the lit- John Velis (February 2001): “Three Essays on Fixed Exchange Rates and Devaluations” erary world to the big screen. Professors Bozena Shallcross (Slavics), Dodona Master of Arts Degrees Kiziria (Slavics), and Michael Berkvam (French and Italian studies), and gradu- Russian and East European Institute ate student Lee Roby introduced the films. The opening remarks were designed to Janis Cakars (April 2001): “Nonviolence and the Latvian Independence Movement, provide those guests who were new to 1986-1991” Wajda with a substantive background in Hyun Hee Do (August 2000): “Globalization of the Telecommunications Market in a particular film’s theme, historical con- Russia and the Czech Republic: The Mobile Telephone Services Market” text, and subtle messages. Those who Dennis Metro-Roland (April 2001): “Recollections of a Movement: The Memory and were more familiar with Wajda’s works en- History of the National Organization of People’s Colleges in Hungary” joyed the opportunity to exchange views during the informal discussion that fol- Central Eurasian Studies lowed each showing. David Bell (December 2000) No Thesis needed. Broad themes provided the framework Kara D. Brown (December 2000): “Learning to Integrate: The Education of Russian- for each segment’s films. The first, “Re- Spreakers in Estonia, 1918-2000.” flections on WWII and the Fate of Po- land,” examined the experiences of Poles Thomas Cooper (May 2000): “The Borders of Trianon: Blunders and Regrets.” during and immediately after the war and Marshall K. Gilbert IV (June 2000): “History, Memory and the Future on Display: featured Canal and Ashes and Dia- The Turkestan Exhibition of 1890.” monds. The second, “People and Politics William King (March 2000): “Central Asia and Eurasian Trade in the Early Medieval in the Polish People’s Republic,” looked Period: Towards an Evaluation of the Silk Road” at Poland’s political struggles across sev- Mika Natif (December 2000): “Patronage of Art and Architecture under the Timurid eral decades through Man of Marble and Dynasty in Central Asia.” Man of Iron. The final segment, “From Literary Classics to Classic Films,” show- Mariya Niendorf (August 2000): “Into the Steam, Into the Dream: The Finnish Sauna cased Wajda’s ability to transform the as a Rite of Passage.” written word from paper to celluloid and Nikolai Sadik-Ogli (May 2000): “Don’t Shoot Väinämöinen! Dada and Futurism in featured Danton and Pan Tadeusz. Finland, 1912-1932” James Wilde (August 2000): “A Fenyegetö Veszély: Remény, Szorongás és Valóság Mark Betka is a graduate student in Miklós Wesselényi and Nationality Issues in 1830-1848 Hungary.” REEI and SPEA. Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 11 Institute The Estonian Environment continued from page 1

One particularly successful sector in ally over the next 12 years. Ida-Viru tation of EU environmental directives will Estonia has been wastewater treatment, county’s industries already pay 80 per- prove quite costly for Estonia. a principal source of Estonia’s water pol- cent of Estonian environmental taxes. Estonia’s environmental policies will lution and one often neglected in the So- Meanwhile, on the island of Saaremaa, also be influenced by its membership in viet era. Due largely to the interest of in- plans for a deepwater port have been de- many Baltic regional environmental orga- ternational development banks, the Nor- layed because of a suit brought against nizations. The Baltic Sea has developed dic countries, and the European Union, the local council by the Estonian Orni- into a locus for cooperation precisely numerous investment projects are under- thological Society, the first instance of because of the environmental problems way to renovate or construct treatment an Estonian environmental NGO suing a common to the countries along its plants in cities and even many smaller local government. The environmentalists shores. The Baltic Sea is home to one of towns. argue that the port would threaten a rare the oldest international environmental The verdict is still out on the uranium bird species as well as the nearby Vilsandi regimes, established by the Helsinki Com- enrichment facility at Sillamäe, long one National Park, Estonia’s first nature pre- mission in 1974. of the greatest environmental In addition to the immediate en- threats to the Baltic Sea. There, a vironmental gains of cooperation, large unstable dump containing there are likely to be other far- 1200 tons of uranium waste mate- reaching benefits as well. Baltic en- rials and oil-shale ashes sits only vironmental cooperation has several dozen meters from the Gulf helped to build a community of of Finland and is now filled with a scholars and researchers. It has radioactive lake. Despite recent ef- also enabled an exchange of tech- forts at remediation, a severe nical expertise and the develop- storm could still cause the em- ment of commercial ties, particu- bankment to collapse and release larly with the Nordic countries. the contents of the dump into the The Estonian state has worked Gulf of Finland. to establish itself as a good inter- The Estonian environment also national partner in environmental faces new and subtler threats. As Estonia’s largest tree, which also featured on its currency. matters. It has been consistent in one of the most economically suc- monitoring and providing data to cessful countries of central and Eastern serve. The port, which many had hoped the Helsinki Commission and to the Eu- Europe, Estonia’s growing prosperity has would attract tourism to the region, may ropean Environment Agency; the latter meant changing lifestyles. Nowhere is this be built in Latvia instead. even ranked Estonia its fourth strongest more evident than in transportation Estonia’s environmental future is also partner. choices. Since 1990 the number of pas- being shaped by its bid for European Estonia’s environmental future holds senger cars has roughly doubled—the Union membership. In many ways, mem- numerous challenges. Yet the experience bulk of these without catalytic convert- bership is likely to be a mixed blessing. of the past fifteen years suggests that ers—and automobile fumes now form the On the one hand, Estonia has already the Estonian environment will continue single largest source of air pollution in benefited from European Union funding to improve as long as the Estonian gov- Tallinn. In this same period, the number for projects through PHARE, the EU’s ernment and public maintain their com- of trips Estonians took by rail or public program to aid economic restructuring in mitment to environmental principles, and transportation has fallen sharply. Central and Eastern Europe. However, Estonia and its neighbors continue to Two recent developments highlight Estonian environmentalists have some- embrace environmental cooperation. other ongoing challenges that Estonia times criticized the emphasis that this as- faces in balancing economic growth with sistance has taken, such as extensive in- environmental protection. Ida-Viru vestment in road construction and reno- Eve Nilenders is a graduate student in county in northeastern Estonia, home to vation at the expense of other more envi- the School of Public and Environmen- much heavy industry and high unemploy- ronmentally friendly forms of transport. tal Affairs and the Russian and East ment rates, has written to the Ministry of Furthermore, while the harmonizing of European Institute. She is also the Environment to protest a draft law increas- Estonia’s environmental legislation with current president of the Baltic and ing environmental taxes 20 percent annu- EU directives is well underway, implemen- Finnish Studies Association. Russian and East European Institute

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Student News

Kara D. Brown (Education) won an IREX languages and literatures in January. Helvetia, Réseaux Est-Ouest. It appears grant to conduct dissertation research in in the series “Readings” (“Prochiti”) of Kathrine Metzo (Anthropology) was in- Estonia next year. Sonm Publishers, one of the leading Bul- vited to participate in the Social Science garian publishers of European philoso- Melissa Cakars (History) won an IREX Research Council Dissertation Writing phy and cultural studies. grant for ten weeks of Mongolian lan- Workshop in Seattle, March 23-25. guage study in Ulaanbaatar this summer. Dana Ohren (History) won an IREX grant Nikita Nankov (Comparative Literature/ for seven months of dissertation research David Fisher (History) is presenting a Slavics) published a book in Bulgarian in Russia on the subject of ethnic minori- paper at the Midwest Historians of Rus- titled In the Hall of Mirrors (V ties in the Russian army of the late impe- sia Workshop in Madison, Wisconsin, ogledalnata staia, Sofia: Sonm, 2001) in rial period. April 20-21, on “Russia and the Crystal March. The book is a collection of seven Palace in 1851.” long studies exploring the interactions Matthew Pauly (History) gave a paper titled “The Kobzar in the Labor School: Kristin Gilbert (History/Education) between European and Bulgarian mod- The Ukrainian Variant of a Soviet Educa- joined the REEI staff in February as a part- ernism in a comparative light. The book tional System, 1922-1930” at the Asso- time clerical assistant. was published with the support of a grant by the Swiss foundation for culture Pro ciation for the Study of Nationalities con- Kira L. Griffitt (Cognitive Science) won the Chair’s Award in Russian Language Proficiency. Her teachers describe her as Central European Teaching Program Holds a “language sponge.” Meeting at IU Kurt Hartwig (Folklore) is currently con- ducting dissertation research in the by Alex Dunlop Czech Republic, supported by a US De- partment of Education Fulbright-Hays On March 24, Indiana University hosted the Second Central European Teaching grant. He is researching strategies of mi- Program (CETP) Reunion and Conference. The program was originally founded as mesis (the assumption of a character by a “Teach Hungary” by IU alumna (CEUS MA, 1998) and former REEI advisor Lesley performer) and the circumstances of its Davis in 1991. Today it places English language teachers in Hungary, Poland, Roma- use. nia, and Latvia and has plans to expand into Slovakia and Lithuania next year. The program is based at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, a small liberal arts Janet Johnson (Political Science) won a college with a commitment to international affairs and student exchange. Over the last post-doctoral fellowship in the ten years more than 350 people have participated in the program, and 45-50 are ex- Havighurst Center for Russian and Post- pected to join this August. Lesely Davis conceived of the program while teaching in Soviet Studies at Miami University in Hungary. With demand for English teachers far outstripping supply, Hungarian school Ohio for the academic year 2001-2002. administrators urged her to help find Americans to fill English-language teaching Adam Leary (Linguistics) won an Insti- positions. tute of International Education Fulbright The IU meeting was meant to bring together program administrators and alumni to grant and is currently conducting disser- evaluate the program and plan for its future. It also included an informational session tation research in Hungary. His study that was open to the public. Members of the IU community came to the Hoosier room addresses speech timing and speech in the Indiana Memorial Union to learn about the program. rhythm in Hungarian. Bloomington is a frequent second home for CETP alumni who, after returning to the US, wish to further the interests and skills they developed while living in Central P. Matthew Loveless (Political Science) Europe. Because of its strength in academic and professional education, IU is a presented the paper “Satisfaction with natural second step for many former CETP teachers. Many have enrolled in REEI or Democracy in Eastern Europe: Disparity the Central Eurasian Studies Department and have taken advantage of the dual- Between Constituencies” at the Midwest degree programs, especially with SPEA and the Kelley School of Business. Others are Slavic Conference on March 31. building on their teaching experience through the Wright School of Education. Andrea Rossing McDowell (Slavics) is currently completing a second master’s Alex Dunlop is a graduate student in the Russian and East European Institute degree in Higher Education Administra- and former director of the Central European Teaching Program. For more tion and Student Affairs. She success- information on the Central European Teaching Program, fully defended her dissertation in Slavic see http://www.beloit.edu/~cetp. Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 13 Institute ference at the Harriman Institute, Colum- Lynn Sargeant (History) was awarded a Terri Ziacik (Economics) was recently bia University, New York City, April 5-7. Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship from named a member of the global research IUPUI and the University Graduate School. project “Explaining Growth in Russia and Elizabeth Peterson (Linguistics) is cur- the Commonwealth of Independent Julie Thomas (History) and John Tarpley rently conducting dissertation research States.” This project is sponsored by the (History) have been awarded John H. in Finland, supported by a Fulbright grant Global Development Network and the Edwards Fellowships for next year. from the Institute of International Educa- Economic Education and Research Con- tion. She is investigating how Finland, a Nathaniel Wood (History) published sortium in Russia. She is part of the team country with a non-Western language, “Ways of Looking at Nationalism: A Lim- investigating economic growth in has adapted to the need to use English to ited Historiographical Essay and Demon- Tajikistan. The project began with a con- become a viable member of the Western strative Exegesis” in Histor-yka: Studia ference in Moscow in early February and market. She will specifically explore the Metodologiczne, a Polish journal that fo- consists of an extensive country study forms of English politeness used by Finns. cuses on historical theory and method. to be completed within one year.

Faculty News

Bob Arnove (Education) was named of Cultural Analysis, a new interdiscipli- Sue Grimmond (Geography) recently re- Chancellor’s Professor. nary journal. She presented a paper titled ceived funds from NSF (Geography and “The Bucovina Székely Identity in North Regional Science and International Pro- David B. Audretsch (SPEA) and Zoltan J. America” at the international convention gram on Central and Eastern Europe) to Acs won the International Award of En- of the Federation of East European Fam- initiate a project to measure and model trepreneurship and Small Business Re- ily History Societies in Salt Lake City, surface-atmosphere exchanges of heat, search. September 22-25, 2000. On May 25 she mass, and momentum in Lodz, Poland. Matthew Auer (SPEA) chaired the panel, gave a joint presentation with Paul Marer The aim is to gain greater insight into the “Implementation and Enforcement of In- (Business, Emeritus) on “Hungarians in causes of urban climates. This is a col- ternational Environmental Policies” and North America, 1850-2000” at the Ethno- laborative undertaking with faculty and presented the paper, “Evaluating Inter- graphic Museum in Budapest. The talk staff in the Department of Meteorology national Environmental Cooperation: A was part of the Centenary Congress of and Climatology at the University of Baltic Sea Case” at the 42nd Annual Con- the American-Hungarian Educator’s As- Lodz. The project will also involve work vention of the International Studies As- sociation. This semester Dégh is teach- in Marseilles, France and Baltimore, Mary- sociation in Chicago, Illinois, February 20- ing two intensive courses at Debrecen land. 24, 2001. Auer also published (with Rafael University. She also plans to conduct six Reuveny and Lisa Adler) “Environmen- weeks of fieldwork in the Calumet region Henry E. Hale (Political Science) pre- tal Liability and Foreign Direct Investment of northwestern Indiana this summer. sented “Commitment Problems and in Central and Eastern Europe,” in the With four graduate students, she will re- Ethnofederal Collapse” at the Associa- Journal of Environment and Develop- search the identity concept of Hungarian tion for the Study of Nationalities confer- ment, Vol. 10, No. 1, March 2001: 5-34. On Americans. The European Folklore Insti- ence at the Harriman Institute, Columbia March 9, he gave a lecture titled “Geo- tute (Budapest) is publishing a collection University, April 5-7. of her essays on the Hungarian-Ameri- graphical Determinants of Environmen- Mark T. Hooker (REEI) presented the can diaspora later this year. tal Politics of the Baltic Sea Region,” to paper “Tolkien Through Russian Eyes” geography students at Indiana Univer- Roy Gardner (Economics) will be a visit- at the Midwest Slavic Conference on sity. ing faculty member and consultant at the March 31. Jack Bielasiak (Political Science) re- Economics Education and Research Con- Charles Jelavich (History, Emeritus) de- ceived a RUGS Grant-in-Aid for his project sortium, National University-Kyiv Mo- livered a presentation titled “Yugo- “The Institutionalization of Electoral and hyla Academy, in Kyiv, Ukraine from May slavism in Habsburg and Interwar South Party Systems in Post-communist 1 to June 24. During this time, he will lec- Slavic Education, 1870-1941” at the Uni- States.” ture on game theory, supervise numer- ous MA theses, and consult with gov- versity of Minnesota on April 5. The lec- Linda Dégh (Folklore, Distinguished ernment agencies and think tanks on eco- ture was part of a one-day conference on Emerita) recently joined the editorial board nomic policy. “Austria in the Heart of Europe.” Russian and East European Institute

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Owen V. Johnson (Journalism) presented at the National Foreign Affairs Training Barbara Skinner (REEI) defended her the paper “Testing the Limits: The Chang- Center in Arlington, Virginia on Novem- dissertation “The Empress and the Her- ing Roles of Journalists in East Central ber 14, 2000. He recently published the etics: Catherine II’s Challenge to the Europe” at the conference, “Journalism following articles: “Culture Wars in Esto- Uniate Church, 1762-1796” with distinc- After the USSR: Ten Years Later,” on Feb- nia at the Beginning of the 20th Century,” tion at Georgetown University on Febru- ruary 1. The conference was organized Acta Historica Tallinnensia, 4 (2000), 49- ary 3. Her mentor at Georgetown was by the European Consortium for Commu- 58; “The Baltic States After the Collapse Andrzej Kaminski. nications Research in cooperation with of the Soviet Union,” Hungarian Stud- Denis Sinor (CEUS, Distinguished Emeri- the Faculty of Journalism, Moscow State ies, 14, no. 2 (2000), 275-284; “Estonia in tus) published “The Uighur Empire of University. He presented “Transitions the 1990s,” Journal of Baltic Studies, 32, Mongolia” in History of the Turkic Problem of Mass Media in Post-Commu- no. 1 (2001), 19-43. Peoples in the Pre-Islamic Period, ed- nist Countries,” at a conference on “The ited by Hans Robert Roemer (Berlin, 2000, Role of Local and Regional Media in the Steve Raymer (Journalism) gave a pre- pp.187-204) and “The First Change of Democratization of Eastern and Central sentation on Saturday, March 24 at the Regime in Hungarian History” in Hungar- European Societies” at Warsaw Univer- Freedom Forum’s newseum in Arlington, ian Studies 14 (2), (2000), pp.153-162. sity, December 14-16. He also gave a talk Virginia. The presentation was part of an on “The Social Role of Journalists and “Inside the Media” program in conjunc- Martin Spechler (Economics, IUPUI) has the Media in Post-Soviet Russia,” at a tion with the opening of a new exhibition just published two survey articles, “Eco- policy forum on “The Media in Russia: on war correspondence. Raymer focused nomics and Nationalism,” and “National- New Roles, New Rules” at the Bureau of on non-combatants and the Geneva Con- ism in Economic History,” in the Ency- Intelligence and Research, US Depart- ventions. clopedia of Nationalism (Academic ment of State on December 6. Thomas A. Sebeok (Linguistics/Sem- Press). Several sections deal with Rus- sia, Central and Eastern Europe. His re- Bill Johnston (TESOL/Applied Linguis- iotics, Distinguished Emeritus) is spend- view of Global Transformations recently tics) recently signed a contract with New ing the spring semester as a visiting pro- appeared in the Journal of Comparative Directions to translate a collection of fessor at the Institute for Linguistics and Economics. Spechler just returned from a short stories by the Polish writer Gustaw Semiotics in the University of Lugano. A stay at the Central European University Herling-Grudzinski. high point of his stay will be an interna- tional conference on “Semiotics and the in Budapest, where he taught interna- Gabor Molnar (CEUS) gave a talk titled Communication Sciences,” supported by tional economics. He is also participating “The Historical Novel in Contemporary the Swiss National Science Foundation. in the Global Development Network Hungarian Literature” at Ohio State Uni- Sebeok was invited to deliver an illus- Project, sponsored by the World Bank. versity on February 22. Molnar argued trated lecture dedicated to the memory of Jeffrey Veidlinger’s (History) book, The that the ever-growing interest in histori- his late friend and sometime collaborator Moscow State Yiddish Theater: Jewish cal fiction, exhibited by several Heini Hediger, a leading expert on man- Culture on the Soviet Stage (Indiana postmodernist authors, is closely inter- animal communication. Long-time direc- University Press, 2000) was named the woven with a decrease in the credibility tor of three Swiss zoos, Hediger pioneered winner of the National Jewish Book of established models of history. the application of Sebeok’s semiotic ideas Award in Yiddish language and literature. David Ransel (REEI) was appointed Rob- and methods in animal taming and train- Bronislava Volkova (Slavics) recently ert F. Byrnes Professor of History. In ing. From Switzerland, Sebeok will pro- gave a bilingual poetry reading in the March he delivered a talk at the Univer- ceed to Rome for lectures and ceremo- National Library of the Czech Republic. sity of Tulsa on “Fertility Decline in Rus- nies attendant upon the publication of The reading was sponsored by the Na- sian Villages.” Ransel was featured, along his new book, The Semiotic Self, as well tional Library, Charles University Insti- with Hiroaki Kuromiya (History), in a to Milan, where a book is to appear in tute of Foreign Language and Profes- New York Times article on oral history, May about his life and works. sional Preparation, Council on Interna- March 10. Ransel was also interviewed Scott Seregny (History, IUPUI) published tional Educational Exchange and the for an article about an upcoming exhibit “A Wager on the Peasantry: Anti- American Embassy. She was introduced at the Indianapolis Museum of Art that Zemstvo Riots, Adult Education and the by the cultural attache Chris Midura and appeared in The Indianapolis Star on Russian Village during the First World the Czech critic Vladimir Novotny. Cur- March 18. War” in Slavonic and East European rently, she also has a collage exhibit in Toivo Raun (CEUS) spoke on the histori- Review (January 2001, pp. 1-37). He also the national Library. The Endicott College cal background of religion in the Baltic presented the paper “The Zemstvo Re- (Massachusetts) team on bibliography of states at the Twentieth Annual Seminar considered,” at the Southern Conference women’s literature conducted an inter- on Religious Life, sponsored by the Ap- on Slavic Studies annual meeting, Alex- view with Volkova, which will be featured peal of Conscience Foundation and held andria, VA, March 3, 2001. in on the Internet site of this bibliography. Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 15 Institute Alumni News

Lynn Berry (Slavics MA, 1984) is the new David Mason (Political Science PhD, 1978) Strange Case of Western Aid to Eastern editor of the Moscow Times. co-authored the recently published Mar- Europe, 1989-1998. In this work she criti- keting Democracy (Roman & Littlefield). cizes the relationship between USAID, the Trevor Brown (Political Science PhD, He is currently a professor at Butler Uni- Harvard Institute for International Devel- 1999) accepted a tenure-track position at versity. opment, and the “Chubais Clan.” Colli- Ohio State University. sion and Collusion was released in pa- Martha Merritt (Political Science MA, James F. Collins (History MA, 1964) re- perback last December. 1986) gave a lecture titled “Russian For- ceived the Award for Distinguished Ser- eign Policy Redux: The View from the vice from the American Council of Teach- Baltic States” at Georgetown University Visiting Scholars ers of Russian. In presenting the award, on March 22. Merritt is an assistant pro- Dan Davidson, president of the Ameri- fessor in the Department of Government REEI is pleased to host the follow- can Councils for International Education at the University of Notre Dame and a ing visiting scholars, who are part called Collins’ career “a model and an in- research scholar at the Woodrow Wilson of the American Councils for Inter- spiration to young people throughout the Center’s Kennan Institute for Advanced national Education Regional world.” Collins is US Ambassador to the Russian Studies. Scholar Exchange Program: Russian Federation. Kelly Moore (REEI MA/Journalism MA, Serhiy Bondaruk is an associate Katherine Hardin Currie (REEI MA, 1994) recently accepted a position as professor in the Cultural Studies 1998) gave birth to a healthy baby boy press secretary to Senator Joseph Department at Lesya Ukrainka State named Bryan Lachlan on October 12, 2000. Lieberman. Previously, she served as University in Lutsk, Ukraine. His She lives with her husband Neall in the spokesperson for the United Nations specialty is American studies. At Saratoga Springs area of New York. Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Indiana University he is studying “the experience of multicultural de- George E. Hudson (Political Science PhD, worked in Bosnia and Kosovo for the velopment in the USA.” He is work- 1975) is currently organizing a conference Prosecutor of the International Criminal ing with Dennis Rome of the Afro- at Wittenberg University on the devel- (“war crimes”) Tribunal. American Studies Department. opment of Russian civil society over the Michaela Pohl (History PhD, 1999) gave last 10 years. Henry Hale (Political Sci- a lecture titled “Destalinization in the Renat Nougaev is head of the De- ence) will be among the participants. Steppe: The Opening of the Virgin Lands partment of Sociology at the Insti- in Kazakstan” at Ohio State University tute of Social and Economic Re- James Felak (History PhD, 1989) was on February 16. She is currently working search at the Tatarstan Academy of elected president of the Slovak Studies on a book, based on her dissertation, ten- Science. He has published widely Association. He also spoke on “War tatively titled Settlers and Special Set- in English, most recently an article Crimes, Justice, and Peace” at the Baker tlers in Kazakstan. in Annales de la fondation Louis Peace Conference at Ohio University last de Broglie. At IU he is researching February. Juras T. Ryfa (Slavics PhD, 1997) edited sociocultural dimensions of scien- the recently published Collection of Es- Shoshana Keller (History PhD, 1995) re- tific paradigm change. He is work- says in Honor of the Bicentennial of ceived tenure and a promotion to associ- ing with Noretta Koertge in the His- Alexander Pushkin’s Birth (Edwin Mellen ate professor at Hamilton College. Her tory and Philosophy of Science Press). Ryfa is currently an assistant pro- book To Moscow, Not Mecca: The Soviet Department. fessor at George Washington University. Campaign Against Islam in Central Asia, Mykola Polonsky is the head of cer- 1917-1941 will be published by Praeger Janine Wedel (Anthropology MA, 1981) tification at the Ukrainian Academy in late 2001 or early 2002. She has also won the prestigious University of Louis- of Public Administration. He has re- recently published a chapter in the an- ville Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improv- turned to Bloomington, where he thology Of Religion and Empire: Mis- ing World Order. The award recognizes earned an MPA degree at IU in 1996, sions, Conversion, and Tolerance in not only important research, but the abil- to research British privatization un- Tsarist Russia, edited by Robert Geraci ity to communicate one’s findings effec- der the Thatcher administration and and Michael Khodarkovsky (Ithaca, NY: tively to a general audience so as to en- its relevance for transitional coun- Cornell University Press, 2001). Her chap- sure that great ideas will not become the tries. He is working with Randall ter is titled “Conversion to the New Faith: private treasure of academics. Wedel won Baker in the School of Public and Marxism-Leninism and Muslims of the primarily for the ideas she set forth in her Environmental Affairs. Soviet Empire.” book Collision and Collusion: The Russian and East European Institute

16 Russian and East European Institute

Czech Roma and Special Schools by Kara D. Brown

Although the Roma (Gypsies) com- troubled children. In practice, however, student into a special school. According prise only three percent of the popula- the special schools have become “col- to statistics, eighty-two percent of tion in the Czech Republic, they are lective dumping grounds” for Romani stu- Romani children score below average on marginalized economically, politically and dents. These are the schools in which these tests. socially. Roma unemployment in some teachers transfer the Romani children who A second “turnstile” point in the areas is as high as 90 percent—twenty either fail to comprehend school lessons Czech educational system that works to times higher than for ethnic Czechs—and and pass exams, which are delivered in the disadvantage of Czech Romani stu- there are reports of widespread discrimi- Czech, or who have been labeled as hav- dents is between elementary and high natory hiring practices. The Czech gov- ing behavioral problems. In the 1999/2000 school. Until 1999, the educational sys- ernment has also excluded most Roma academic year, 75 percent of all Romani tem would not permit a student enrolled from political participation. A 1993 citizen- students attended special schools, in a special school to continue on to high ship law prohibits virtually all Roma who whereas only a small minority of ethnic school; only students who graduated have Slovak internal passports or had a Czech students were in these schools. Na- from “normal” (normalní školy) elemen- petty criminal record at the time of tionwide, more than half of all the stu- tary schools could enroll in high school. Czechoslovakia’s break-up from obtain- dents enrolled in special schools were Since the Romani children are fifteen ing Czech citizenship. Roma. Ondrej Gina, Sr., a leader of the times more likely to study in a special While discrimination against the Roma Czech Roma community, reflected on the school, this regulation clearly worked permeates many public institutions in the pernicious effects of these special against the participation of Roma in sec- Czech Republic (e.g., the police depart- schools: “As he [the student] comes to ondary and tertiary education. As a re- ments, the government, and the hospi- be an adult, he won’t find work, he won’t sult of this filter between elementary and tals), one institution appears to limit the go upwards. Society will point him out as high schools, few Roma have advanced life possibilities of the Roma more than an example, as ‘That’s all that can become degrees or pedagogical training. A Romani any other: the public education system. of those people.’ That’s how the rational school administrator reported that only According to government statistics, racists have worked out the system.” three Czech Roma have pedagogical de- school participation rates are low and fail- The structure of the post-Communist grees. Thus, the structural barriers also ure rates are high among Romani stu- Czech education system has perpetuated kept Roma from being trained as teachers dents. In 1991, the proportion of Roma Romani educational underachievement. and participating in the educational life who had a secondary-level education There are multiple “turnstile” points in of other Roma. was 1.2 percent (compared with 80.3 per- the educational path of Romani students The last major “turnstile” built into the cent for the non-Romani population of at which they might be transferred to a Czech educational system is between the same age group). The drop out and special school. Just as a subway turn- normal and special schools. In the Czech pushout rates are high—Romani children stile will easily allow the passenger to Republic, it is rare that a child placed or in the Czech Republic are thirty-six times enter the metro system but make it im- transferred into a special school will trans- more likely to dropout or be pushed out possible for that same passenger to turn fer back into a normal school. The trans- before high school graduation than non- around and exit through the same turn- fer of students from special to normal Roma students. As a result, only one-fifth stile, the Czech special schools are insti- schools is complicated by the weight of of the Romani population complete ninth tutions that are easy to transfer into but the “professional” evaluation of the psy- grade. At the tertiary level, Romani en- almost impossible to transfer out of. chologist, teacher, or school director who rollment is dramatically low—only 0.4 The first “turnstile” point is encoun- originally recommended that the child be percent of Romani men and 0.2 percent of tered before elementary school when stu- sent to a special school. The diagnosis Romani women enroll in universities. dents take placement exams that are re- of a professional usually outweighs the One of the primary reasons for the quired for all children entering elemen- Romani parents’ request to keep their cycle of low participation and high fail- tary school. All of these exams are writ- child in normal school. One Czech psy- ure rates of Czech Romani children is con- ten in Czech, which means that if Romani chologist explained, “Children are re- nected with their placement in special children do not speak Czech by the time turned to normal schools very occasion- schools (zvlástní školy). These schools they are of elementary school age (which ally. Our aim is to make accurate diagno- were originally opened during the com- the majority of Romani students do not), sis initially so that this does not have to munist period for “mentally handicapped” then they will not pass the exam. Low happen. If a child has to be moved back, (with IQs under 85) or psychologically exam scores result in the placement of a we haven’t done our job properly.” In Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 17 Institute short, the transfer of the student back into Romani schools will be a symbol “that has not only organized committees to in- a normal school is considered to be a Roma do indeed want to learn. It will hope- vestigate the segregation of and discrimi- failed diagnosis, and few professionals fully end up being a signal to individual nation against Romani students in public are willing to admit to such an schools, but it has also estab- error. lished preparatory classes for The discriminatory aspects the Romani children. Despite of the Czech education system Doors these positive signs, the cur- are under attack from the inter- rent state of Romani education national community and the I knocked on the door, I stood on the doorstep in the Czech Republic leaves Czech Romani organizations. and they slammed the door in my face. many questions to be an- Major international organiza- This is how they punished me. swered: Are segregated tions such as the Council of Eu- schools (i.e. Czech public rope and the United Nations I sat on the doorstep and cried schools and Romani indepen- have sponsored international because I wanted to prove, to convince the whites dent schools) an effective ap- conferences on the theme of that Roma are good. proach for providing Romani discrimination against Roma, students with a higher-quality research projects examining dis- But they threw me out. So they won! education? Will segregated criminatory practices in Oh God, teach me how I should live, schools perpetuate stereotypes schools, and campaigns to pro- how I should love, and social and cultural misun- mote Romani education. In April derstandings between the eth- 2000, the Budapest-based Eu- how I should pray, nic Czechs and Czech Roma ropean Roma Rights Center how I should sit on the doorstep since students will have less filed a lawsuit with the European and wait for the whites contact with each other? Can Court of Human Rights in to open the door. segregated schools promote Strasbourg against the Czech civic solidarity in the Czech Re- Government for “the systematic public? Is the creation of an in- racial segregation and discrimi- -Veronika Cibriková, Czech Romani Poet dependent Romani school sys- nation” of twelve Romani chil- tem allowing the Czech Minis- dren in Czech schools. Further- try of Education to avoid ad- more, in the last year, the Euro- dressing and correcting the pean Union has explained to the Czech schools and to the Ministry of Education discriminatory practices of teachers and government that “the situation of minori- that Roma are capable of learning and that school directors in normal and special ties such as the Roma” will be taken into they should not be shut out.” schools? consideration in the assessment of the The Czech Romani schools, which Kara D. Brown is a graduate student country’s attempt to join the European range from nursery school to high school, in EducationPolicy Studies. Union. all have common goals: to create a school The second camp pushing for an im- environment that is conducive to learn- provement of Romani education is made ing, further educational and professional The Czech Landscape up of Romani activist organizations. The opportunities, reaffirm the Romani lan- continued from page 5 majority of the Romani groups strive to guage and culture, treat children with re- improve the life possibilities and rights spect, and promote integration of the Depictions of the Czech countryside of the Roma and, specifically, to provide Czech Romani into Czech society. Two such as these are politically loaded char- the Romani children with a higher quality Romani schools have been founded since acterizations of the Czech homeland. The of education. The Czech Romani organi- 1993 in the heavily Roma-populated ar- artist Julius Marak actualized the national zations have challenged the inferior edu- eas of the Czech Republic: the Premysl landscape and codified the rhetoric of cation offered to their children in the spe- Pitter Basic School (grades 1-9, in Ostrava, nationalism. The iconographic programs cial schools through the creation of a va- founded in 1993), and the Romani High in National Theater mural cycles use spe- riety of independent educational institu- School for Social Affairs (grades 10-12, in cific sites of national political importance tions. According to Romani leaders, by Kolín, founded in 1998). in order to recreate and affirm Czech na- working outside the mainstream public As a result of both international and tional identity at a time when the Austro- school system, they are trying “to make domestic pressure, the Czech government Hungarian Empire ruled the Czech people. the best” of the de facto racial segrega- has taken some steps to address the in- tion in the Czech education system. One stitutional discrimination against the Kathlaine Nyden is a graduate student Romani activist hopes that independent Roma. Since 1997, the Czech Government in the Art History Department. Russian and East European Institute

18 Russian and East European Institute The Impact of the Automated Interbank REEI Mellon Payment System on Ukrainian Banking Endowment Awards, by Nataliya Medzhybovska Spring and Summer 2001 Remarkable technological changes are nian banking system at the national level. occurring in Ukraine’s banking sector. It helps ensure the safety of economic Faculty Awards Today banking is the most progressive activity in Ukraine. It also increases the Jack Bielasiak (Political Science, IUB) and automated sector of the Ukrainian efficiency of banking payments and in- received a Summer Research Fellowship economy. This is due to the implementa- teraction of the Ukrainian economy with to support full-time writing on his project, tion of the automated interbank payment the world market. Currency stability may “Institutionalization of Electoral and Party system of the National Bank of Ukraine also be bolstered by the introduction of Systems in Postcommunist States.” in January 1994. automation as part of sound state mon- The new system combined all the etary policy. All of these factors Henry Hale (Political Science, IUB) re- banking institutions of Ukraine into a strengthen trust on the part of the world ceived a Grant-in-Aid of Research to sup- single network. Now all commercial banks business community and the Ukrainian port his hiring of a research assistant for engaging in Ukrainian banking activities people in the Ukrainian banking system. the project, “Impact of Political Organiza- must use automated payments. The na- At a local level, the benefits of the au- tions in the Russian Elections.” tional bank also demands that all system tomated system are equally important. Owen Johnson (Journalism, IUB) received participants strictly adhere to technical Automation increases the speed of trans- a Grant-in-Aid for international travel to and technological requirements. This in- actions and reduces banking errors. Rou- the European Consortium for Communi- cludes rules for the automated systems tine operations, such as the circulation cation Research (ECCR) symposium “Me- required of commercial banks, interbank of documents, are made more efficient, dia after the USSR: Ten Years Later” in communication, and the protection of and banking reports are simplified. The Moscow, where he presented his paper, banking information. system establishes an electronic connec- “Testing the Limits: The Changing Role The new payment system is supported tion with clients and increases the use of of Journalists in East Central Europe.” by a special software-hardware package. bank cards. Automation brings new tools It provides for the electronic transfer of that allow for greater possibilities regard- Dodona Kiziria (Slavics, IUB) received a documents and their verification, analy- ing the creation, monitoring and use of Grant-in-Aid for international travel to a sis, and protection against unauthorized databases and analytical forecasting seminar in contemporary literary theories access. To keep the system up to date, models, which in turn will foster valid and and criticism in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she the Ukrainian National Bank continu- timely bank decisions. will speak about two novels: Pasternak’s ously develops software and hardware Ukrainian commercial banks are trying Doctor Zhivago and Chavchavadze’s applications on the basis of the latest to develop automated systems based on Otara’s Widow. She will also continue technological developments. the latest technology. Therefore, Ukrai- work on her textbook, Georgian for Be- Despite these improvements, the de- nian banking systems are becoming more ginners. gree of banking automation varies widely. complex, but also more effective. Ease of Roman Zlotin (Geography, IUB) received This is largely due to the weak internal payment and efficiency of services is im- a Grant-in-Aid of Research to support his systems still used by many Ukrainian portant, but the greatest advantage to travel to Moscow in May to work on his commercial banks. The automated inter- using automated systems is the effect project, “Russia and the Commonwealth bank payments system does not regulate they have on people’s attitudes and be- of Independent States in Transition: Cur- the manner in which banks conduct their havior. People who use new technology rent Dynamics in Environmental and De- internal business. The new system is nev- stay in touch with new ideas, welcome mographic Conditions.” ertheless a step in the right direction be- business opportunities and look to the cause the reality of the Ukrainian market future instead of the past. An automated Student Award is that only strong, well-equipped and system has the potential to transform all Kathrine Metzo (Anthropology, IUB) re- well-managed banks can survive. Recent business activity and to make life richer ceived a Student Grant-in-Aid of Travel events in Ukrainian banking, such as by increasing the reliability of transac- to Conferences to support her participa- mergers and the bankruptcy of weak tions and promoting inter-city and inter- tion in the 2001 Soyuz conference, “From banks, amply demonstrate this. national contact. the ‘Internationale’ to Transnational: The modern automated system is in- Repositioning Post-Socialist Cultures,” dispensable for bank development. Most Nataliya Medzhybovska is a visiting where she presented her paper, “Buriat? importantly, the automated banking sys- scholar from Odessa State Tunkinets? Or Xongodor?: Manipulating tem promotes the stability of the Ukrai- Economic University. Identity in a Post-Soviet Border Region.” Russian and East European Institute

Russian and East EuropeanRussian and East European Institute 19 Institute IU Receives Grant from Aspera Foundation for Oral History Project in Romania

The IU Russian and East European during which they will interview 15-30 project’s co-directors are Professor Institute and Oral History Research Cen- individuals in the Brasov region and then Bucur-Deckard and Professor David L. ter are pleased to announce receipt of a to begin transcribing and editing the in- Ransel, Director of the Russian and East seed grant of $5,000 from the Aspera Ro- terview materials. The interviews will be European Institute. manian Educational and Charitable Foun- conducted as life histories. The questions dation for a new international academic will follow several important aspects in exchange project between Indiana Uni- the life of post-World War II Brasov: 1) Year in Review versity and Transylvania University of daily life in communist Romania, 2) indus- continued from page 4 Brasov, Romania, in the area of oral his- trialization and post-industrialization, 3) tory research. political deportations of both Romanian continue with similar coverage in the fu- The project will begin in June 2001 and German populations, and 4) gender ture. when IU Assistant Professor of History relations under communism. These are a few of the highlights of Maria Bucur-Deckard and history doc- Results of the first field expedition will our programs as we finish the school toral student Jill Massino will join three be posted on a dedicated web site by the year. We look forward to greeting faculty Romanian oral history scholars in Brasov end of the spring semester 2002. Aspera and students at our fall reception and our to conduct a workshop on the theory and Foundation has indicated its intention to alumni and friends at the annual AAASS techniques of oral history research with co-sponsor further projects in oral his- Convention on November 16, in Arling- Transylvania University students. Ms. tory that Indiana University and Profes- ton, Virginia. Massino will remain in Brasov through sor Bucur-Deckard’s team will work on in the rest of the summer to supervise the the region of Brasov or in other parts of David Ransel is Director of the Russian students in their first field expedition, Transylvania in the years to come. The and East European Institute. Russian and East European Institute Non-Profit Organization Ballantine Hall 565 U.S. Postage PAID Indiana University Bloomington IN

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Competetion, Russian and East European Institute, Indiana University, Ballantine Hall 565, Bloomington, IN 47405. IN Bloomington, 565, Hall Ballantine University, Indiana Institute, European East and Russian Competetion,

1 to: Jessica Hamilton, Attn: Armstrong Paper Armstrong Attn: Hamilton, Jessica to: 1 200 11, May than later no triplicate in submitted be must Paper

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