Newsletter SPRING 2010 s Contents Greetingfrom Greeting from UF Russian Studies...... 2 UF Hosts Slavic Studies Russian Conference in March...... 3 Russian Rockers in Gainesville: An Interview with ’s Studies ...... 4 Alumni on the Move: The Gator Nation Reaches Mongolia Dear Alumni and Friends of UF Russian Studies, (Christian Packard, Class of 2005)...... 6 On behalf of the entire faculty I different countries. (See page 3 for Russian Soprano Performs at UF...... 8 send warmest regards from UF highlights.) Russian Studies in Dauer Hall! With Faculty News...... 10 the 2009-2010 academic year now Most importantly, however, on the verge of completion, I can we continue to graduate Thank You for Your Support...... 10 safely say the past 15 months have some of the most talented been among the most eventful in and adventurous students in Keep Your Classmates Up to Date...... 10 recent history. Our now-annual fall Florida. Four graduating seniors Alumni News...... 11 and spring celebrations -- “Russian completed honors theses with Fall Festival” and “Maslenitsa” “High Honors” or higher and Major Distinctions...... 12 -- drew upwards to 300 people one, Rita Chernyak (Dual Major, each. In February 2009 UF Russian Russian and Journalism), received Studies faculty hosted a one-day the prestigious Russian Scholar symposium organized by yours Laureate Award, awarded annually truly, entitled “Up From the Ashes: to the nation’s top Russian majors National Identity and Imperial by the American Council of Aspirations in Putin-era ,” Teachers of Russian. For news which featured UF faculty (Finkel, about not-so-recent grads, please Gorham, Rylkova and the new see the feature article on page 6 Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and the “Alumni News” section on and Sciences, Dr. Paul D’Anieri) page 11. together with a group of outside guest speakers from Harvard, More special events are planned Princeton, NYU, Pittsburgh, and for 2010-2011 and we do hope the University of Pennsylvania. you might have occasion to join That same weekend UF hosted us. Do let us know if and when the U.S. national debut of Olga you’re passing through town, in Ionova, a soprano and rising star in any case, and send information Russian opera. You can read more about yourself that we can share in about Ionova in the interview on the next issue of the newsletter— page 8, conducted in Russian and either by using the form at the translated by Lindsay Nuesca, who end of this newsletter or sending graduated this year with a dual a separate e-mail message to me degree in Russian and Musicology. at [email protected]. It’s always good to see and hear from you, so More recently, UF Slavic Studies keep in touch! played host to the 48th Annual Southern Conference on Slavic До скорой встречи! Studies, which attracted to Gainesville over 150 scholars from —Michael Gorham over 17 different states and 4

2 | Spring 2010 | University of Florida | Russian studies newsletter March 25-27, 2010 Gainesville, Florida

Southern Conference on Slavic Studies The 48th annual meeting of the Southern Conference on Slavic Studies (SCSS) took place in Gainesville, Florida on March 25-27, 2010. The conference, hosted by the University of Florida, was held at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center. Two full days of over 40 thematic panels were complimented by a special plenary roundtable session devoted to:

Gas Wars, Colored Revolutions, and Media Politics in Russia and the ‘Near Abroad’ Leading scholars of Russian and Ukrainian politics gave their assessment of the state of and prospects for relations between Russia, Europe, and the Russian “Near Abroad.”

Roundtable participants include: Paul D’Anieri, Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Zachary Selden, Deputy Secretary General for Policy, NATO College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at University of Florida Parliamentary Assembly Ellen Mickiewicz, James R. Shepley Professor of Public Policy, Andrew Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Ukrainian Studies at Duke University the University College School of Slavonic and East Lucan Way, Assistant Professor of Political Science at University European Studies and Senior Policy Fellow for the European of Toronto Council on Foreign Relations

Following the plenary session, Professor Mark von Hagen delivered the keynote address, “History Wars: Memory and Geopolitics in Eastern Europe,” at the Friday night banquet. For details, please visit the conference website at: http://www.languages.ufl.edu/ events/2010-slavic/ .

Russian studies newsletter | University of Florida | spring 2010 | 3 Interview with Mumiy Troll's ilya lagutenko

by Rita Chernyak

With over 2 decades of albums and performances behind them, Mumiy Troll has firmly established its place in the annals of Soviet and Russian Rock. The band rolled through Gainesville on November 13, for a one-night performance at “1982 Bar.” Rita Chernyak, a graduating senior with dual degrees in Russian and Public Relations, spoke with the band’s lead singer, Ilya Lagutenko. Chernyak has contributed regularly to The Gainesville Sun and other, on campus publica- tions and plans to pursue a career in law.

4 | Spring 2010 | University of Florida | Russian studies newsletter How did you begin your career in And talking about Gainesville— Basically, you are not the stereotypical music? Why and how did you choose Gainesville has a big history of bands rock star, you know, going the wrong to come together as the rock band basically being here on the university way and the drugs. And basically, I’m you are today? campus; lots of bands started here. It’s happy to be that unique rock star kind Being a kid from the a very interesting experience. Let’s put of balancing between being really edge background, you don’t really have any it this way: We would prefer to play in and normal. illusions about the [being] Gainesville than Miami, because Miami a part of your life, or [that] you can has its own. It’s not really a rock place. Do you like American food? make a living out of it. So, I guess, it So, we travel to a real-people place, not I’ll tell you what, you know, you go was a long and winding road for us to a touristy place. to people and they ask you what is make a decision. I did lots of studies Russian traditional food, and I say, “OK, and did lots of different types of work Which one do you prefer— dumplings and potatoes.” And [then] before we actually ended up being performing in large concert halls you remember, “When the last time you a 100 percent, full-time rock band. It or smaller venues? You have done had dumplings?” I guess with all this was a difficult decision for me and the both quite well, but do you have a globalization in a good way; you get band members—to basically give up preference? too many choices now. Burgers—I really whatever our day jobs were and to It all depends. I really take it easy like them, yes, I really like them. The nice concentrate on following this dream... because we have experienced playing meat on the grill; it’s really appealing The moment you realize your music is for millions of people at one place—all to me, a good piece of steak and good actually appreciated by someone else those free open air shows in Russia— piece of meat. So, I’m not really sure outside your band and your relatives literally millions of people around you. about all these American sauces, but then you think, “OK, I’m on the right And we play in small clubs back home some of them I like. You know, the really path.” for few people, like a dozen people. So, big Asian impact on America now. for me, I don’t really choose the place. I Sometimes we think maybe chicken Your current tour is in the United mean, whatever comes up. It’s not about noodle soup is more American. (Laughs) States and your performance is in my choice—It’s about the people that Gainesville. What made you want to come to the show. What surprised you about America? come to Gainesville and the U.S. in I guess the biggest surprise for me general? How do you define happiness and would be that America actually meets Let’s put it this way: We started to come are you happy with your musical lots of criteria which I heard about from to America quite often several years accomplishments as an artist? other people. I guess it’s [the] middle ago, and basically for economic reasons. I mean, you’ve got too many ambitions; class lifestyle idea. I mean, for me, a Because of the value of the dollar, we you never write your best song guy from modern Russia and Soviet could get more recording done here, ever, because it [might happen] background, we are used to the big even to compare it to Russia, because at tomorrow…. I wouldn’t say I’m happy difference in lifestyle ideas. The Soviet some point, especially, became on accomplishments because there are Union was so-called communist. It’s too expensive to live and to work… too many tasks you can put in front of totally different here, in America. I like Moscow at the moment, it looks like you, but I’m definitely happy that I’ve that. I definitely appreciate it. Because it’s for multimillionaires not for normal been given this chance to exploit this democracy may not work for other people, so that’s why we decided [to opportunity and I didn’t really give up countries, but it work here. And God come on tour in America]. Because this chance. I didn’t really give up on Bless—let it work here. we had to record new songs, and it myself…. Let’s put it this way: Some of was winter time, so it was like let’s just my relatives [are] still not sure that I’m do it somewhere—some nice place. on the right track. It’s just years and We actually went to South Africa first, years of what you’ve been doing, and it’s and then we decided why not to go to just time, and now when they see that California? you are happy in what you are doing.

Russian studies newsletter | University of Florida | spring 2010 | 5 UF Russian Studies Alum Extends the Gator Nation to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

After graduating UF with a major in Political Science and then receiving his MA from Har- vard in 2008, Christian Packard (2005) spent a year in Mongolia working as a legal assis- tant for an international law firm. In the heat of exam session at UF Law, where he’s now in his first year, Packard took the time to talk.

By way of background, where exactly needed someone with my qualifications and that the bureaucracy could be a were you, when were you there, and and one, a senior partner at Anderson serious hassle, but entrepreneurship was how did you get the position? & Anderson LLP, wrote me back with an highly encouraged and in most sectors My year in Mongolia was spent primarily offer. so was investment. The legal culture is in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, though I also new for the country, and a bit more did get to take three business trips to What were some of the biggest difficult for outsiders to navigate…. different cities in too. I got the challenges? Almost every part of the legal system position after I finished my MA. I knew I Mongolia’s business environment is rated had to be remade in the last twenty wanted to go to Mongolia or somewhere as one of the more friendly and open years, often without expert advice, in Central Asia, and on a whim I looked in the world, according to the World so while general principles familiar to for English-speaking lawyers in those Bank’s survey of businessmen around American lawyers would be present countries through the American Bar the globe. Based on my experiences specific details would not…. Of course, Association “lawyer locator.” I emailed there, I definitely agree. It’s true that the this is part of what made the job so the ones I found to see if any of them capitalist system is very new for them, exciting.

6 | Spring 2010 | University of Florida | Russian studies newsletter How would you characterize new and interesting people from all in Russian than in English. Of course, the fact that the legal/business culture in across the world, and doing almost modern Mongolian is written in Cyrillic probably Mongolia? every day things I’d never done helped. Other than helping the attorneys before. I made many new friends unravel intricate legal questions with whom I am still very close. I How’s your Mongolian? like the one described above, my learned a lot about myself, Mongolia, My Mongolian is decent, though not anywhere biggest challenge was probably and life in a developing country. I near fluent. I could carry basic “Hi, how are you?” communication. Firstly the language got to travel to a number of places conversations, order food, direct taxis, and in barrier was tough. Even though that I’d only read about in dusty old general terms describe my position at the firm. everyone in my office spoke rather books, and at one point I even met I had a strange education in Mongolian, first good English, this was often not the Prime Minister. Life over there studying the classical language and script for a enough to quickly explain the “terms isn’t exactly easy, but I would happily year at Harvard, and then studying Buryat-Mongol of art” that make legal-ese so difficult do it again. I suppose being able to in Ulan-Ude for a summer, and only in Mongolia in any tongue. Sometimes we look back and say “I’m glad I did that,” studying the modern colloquial language of that would have hilarious conversations is a reward in itself. country. It was like if I had studied Latin for a year, where I would sit with an English spent a summer in Brazil, and then moved to legal dictionary, explain that to a To what extent are Russian and Spain. My Mongolian acceptable, lets just leave it colleague who spoke Russian, who English used in the workplace, the at that. would then explain what I meant to government, the media, and the another colleague in Mongolian. We everyday public sphere? always got across what we needed In our office, English was the official to, but sometimes it took a while. language of the workplace. It was That was just with co-workers. Add in the language in which we most a Japanese client speaking through often communicated with each their own translator and things got other, with the firm’s many offices still more interesting. in China, and with our clients. In Secondly was the technology the country as a whole, English was barrier. We communicated with most proudly pronounced in the early of our clients and the other offices 90s to be Mongolia’s new “second in our firm through the internet, language” (replacing Russian). In primarily Email and VOIP services reality, everyone wants to learn it, like Skype. Due to the time zone most people (of the new generation) differences, e-mail usually resulted speak at least a few sentences of in hours or days of delay, which is a it, and you can see advertisements tricky thing to manage in the legal sprinkled with English words on profession. Also, anyone who has every street corner…. used Skype internationally knows However, contradictory though this how finicky it can be sometimes. may sound, I think Russian is actually slightly more prevalent. It seemed What were some of the biggest to me like almost every member of rewards? Parliament had studied in Russia The biggest reward was at some point in their lives, even unequivocally the experience. I the ones who also studied in the admit that’s a rather broad term, but West…. In my personal experience, if I don’t know how else to describe I was lost or otherwise needed help getting to work in a new industry from a stranger, it was much more in a new environment, meeting likely that we could communicate

Russian studies newsletter | University of Florida | spring 2010 | 7 an interview with Olga Ionova

by Lindsay Nuesca Olga Ionova, a leading soprano on the Russian operatic stage, made her United States debut in UF's own University Auditorium in March of 2009. Lindsay Nuesca, a Russian major pursuing a joint degree in Musicology, spoke with her about her career and views on opera— Russian and otherwise.

When and how did you first become interested What advice do you have for aspiring vocalists? in opera? A strong desire to sing is not enough… Vocal study I have always loved opera, since the time I learned must be approached with trepidation towards the my first opera aria!!! I cannot express in words how music on one hand, and a cool head on the other, wonderful it is to feel the sound of one’s own voice, like a scholar who comprehends difficult formulas. to govern it, and relate through the voice various kinds of feelings and moods. Who do you most admire? More than anyone else, I admire singers who are Do you have any especially favorite roles? Which found constantly working, creatively exploring, and ones and why do you like them? who preserve within themselves the “pupil”—an Every role is a favorite; they are like children… Most ease of perception and an ability to find something loved are those that are more “suffering.” For me new in familiar roles! Without a doubt, this includes the dearest roles are “Magic Flute” (Pamina) and Maria Callas, Jessie Norman, Mario Lanza, Placido “Rigoletto” (Gilda). Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and many, many other wonderful and unique operatic artists. How has Russian opera changed since the fall of the Soviet Union? The culture of the profession? What are your impressions of Gainesville and Financially? The quality of artists? Audience? about America in general? Competition from lower, more “popular” forms Gainesville became for me the warmest city in of culture? Florida!! I would really like the cultural life in this In my opinion, opera is a constant art, just like wonderful city to be booming and diverse, and [I music is eternal! The modern rhythm of life doesn’t would like] for Gainesville to have its own opera accept statics on the operatic stage. Today, opera festival. I hope your city comes to be known as the is a more creative, modernized production, cultural capital of Florida... communicating the emotions and feelings of the modern person.

8 | Spring 2010 | University of Florida | Russian studies newsletter Russian studies newsletter | University of Florida | spring 2010 | 9 Facultynews Dr. Barksdale continues to Literature.” Dr. Gorham has auditoriums and he’s currently critical acclaim. Dr. Rylkova teach his popular “Russian published several articles working with colleagues in is now working on issues Masterpieces” and is currently on the language culture and Moscow to develop upper- relating to biography writing in the final stages of his sixth politics of post-Soviet Russia division team-taught courses and cultural memory, and book, this one dedicated to and is completing a book on dedicated to “Russian Mass on “the lives and deaths” of religion in Dostoevsky and the same topic. He’s involved and New Media.” Dr. Rylkova Anton Chekhov. In addition other Russian writers. Dr. in an international working was promoted to Associate to her work in the language Goodwin’s book, Confronting group dedicated to “The Professor and now serves classroom, Galina Wladyka Dostoevsky’s Demons: Future of Russian: Language as the Undergraduate continues to be the moving Anarchism and the Specter of Culture in the Era of New Coordinator for Russian force behind the “Russian Bakunin in Twentieth-Century Technology” and has been Studies. Her book, The Fall Festival” and “Maslenitsa” Russia, will be published in invited to the University of Archaeology of Anxiety: The events. Last spring she also 2010 by Peter Lang for its Passau as Visiting Professor Russian Silver Age and Its spearheaded the U.S. debut of series of “Middlebury Studies in Spring 2010. His “Russian Legacy, came out in December the star Russian soprano, Olga in and Fairy Tales” continues to fill 2007 and has met with high Ionova.

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10 | Spring 2010 | University of Florida | Russian studies newsletter Alumni news James Slater (2007). After Financial Analyst (CFA) University’s School of Foreign Houston, Texas. We found a graduating with a BA in program. My Russian studies, Service. While finishing up great Russian grocery store Russian from the University of including a semester in my academic work, I worked here and I’m able to get my fix Florida, I went on to pursue Moscow with the UF Russian for a retired Ambassador of pelmeni. an MA in Slavic Languages Studies exchange program, at L-3 Communications (a and Literatures from the have been a major talking government consulting Ruth Decalo (1999). Since University of North Carolina point and differentiator in firm) where I worked on graduating UF with a double at Chapel Hill—where I was every interview I’ve had since government capacity- BA in Balkan Studies and funded through FLAS and leaving Florida. building and rule of law Russian, I went on to earn my a teaching assistantship as programs for governments MA at George Washington an instructor for RUS 101 Liza Shurik (2005). After in Eastern Europe (mainly University in Russian and & 102. After graduating graduation I worked in the Balkans) and the Middle East European Studies. I from UNC, I was accepted Moscow for two years. I East. I currently work as an worked concurrently with to participate in the ACTR developed programs and Analyst for the Department international labor unions Russian Overseas Flagship informational materials on of Defense in the Washington in the former Yugoslavia, Program in Saint-Petersburg. HIV for vulnerable groups DC area, analyzing situations learning Serbian/Croatian I have just completed my throughout the former worldwide that are of interest and visiting the region to help first of two semesters here, Soviet Union. Upon returning to the U.S. Government. with field office operations. I where I take Russian language home, I worked as a freelance have since worked in NYC as courses, spetskursy with writer for UNAIDS and WHO. I Lara Hopkins (2003). I a Senior Director of Program Russian students and have backpacked through Israel for live in Washington, DC and Training at a national an internship with Bellona (a a month before heading back and work on Capitol Hill NGO, and am currently the Norwegian environmental and to “Soviet” territory, where for Congresswoman Kathy Director of Student Life and human-rights NGO) where I helped write the 5-year Castor. My job entails a little Community Outreach at the I translate legal documents, national HIV strategy for bit of everything including Jewish Theological Seminary articles and informational Tajikistan. Working for three some communications and in New York. I served as a reports into English and months out of Dushanbe, I administrative work, along Peace Corps Business and Russian. helped write a winning 50 with a legislative portfolio of Social Entrepreneurship million dollar HIV grant to the international affairs, human volunteer in the Republic of Kevin Kopelman (2006). Global Fund Against AIDS, TB rights and trade. Georgia until war interrupted Since graduating in 2006, and Malaria. I came home for my service. After leaving the I’ve been working as an a few months during which Nick Chadeayne (2003). country for three weeks, I equity research analyst at I volunteered for the Obama I graduated from the returned to help refugees Cowen and Company, an campaign before heading to MSM program at Florida and continue my work with investment bank in New Jerusalem for a year to get in May of ‘05 and went to youth in the Azeri ethnic York. My team covers public my Master’s degree in Public work for Merrill Lynch as a minority region of Marneuli. Internet companies, primarily Health. Now I’m back in Miami, broker. I left Merrill in ‘07 During my time in Georgia I in the online advertising and currently unemployed and and became a portfolio studied Georgian, Azeri and e-commerce businesses, such enjoying the time with my manager for Wachovia Turkish, and my professional as Google, Amazon, Yahoo, family. Wealth Management. I’ve life was conducted mostly in and Netflix. The job consists of been studying for the CFA Russian—until the war, when conducting market research, Evan Doyle (2005). After designation and considering my work with young refugees building financial models, and graduating UF with a double working on a Master’s of and international NGOs had writing investment reports major in economics and Finance from Tulane next me leaning on Georgian and for institutional investors. This Russian, I received my master’s year. Brooke Bornick (2003) English. summer I passed the third and degree in National Security and I and still happily married final exam of the Chartered Studies from Georgetown and we recently relocated to

Russian studies newsletter | University of Florida | spring 2010 | 11 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Russian Studies Permit No. 94 Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures Gainesville, FL P.O. Box 115565 Gainesville, FL 32611-5565

Major Distinctions Honors Theses Andres Alegria-Martinez, “Drinking and Russia: How Russia’s Drinking Culture Limits Current Anti- Alcoholism Measures.” (Director: Gorham)

James Wyatt Meng, “Financial isolationism and the Russian business environment: linking culture & policy.” (Director: Gorham)

Tiffany Richard, “From Russia, With Gay Love: A Theoretical Analysis of the Intersection of Sexuality, History, and Culture.” (Director: Kleespies)

Danijela Zekanovic, “Ukraine and Russia: Sibling Rivalries Escalating. Effects of leader relationships on the Ukraine-Russia relations.” (Director: Burak)

Awards Rita Chernyak, American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR), Russian Scholar Laureate Award.