Molly Peeney, Lecturer. Her interests are Meet Our Faculty: in language pedagogy, early twentieth- Mitchell Orenstein, Professor, Department century Modernism, and creative writing. Th is fall semester, Dr. Peeney will teach: sputnik Chair. Dr. Orenstein is a scholar of inter- national politics focusing on the political • RUSS003 Intermediate Russian I Sput·nik economy of transition in Central and Eastern • RUSS197 Madness and Madmen in Rus- Russian, literally ‘fellow-traveler’: each of a series of Soviet artifi cial Europe. Th is fall semester, Dr. Orenstein will satellites, the fi rst of which (launched on October 4, 1957) was the sian Literature and Culture fi rst satellite to be placed in orbit. teach RUSS123: Russia and Eastern Europe in International Aff airs. Kevin M. F. Platt, Edmund J. and Louise W. On March 14, 2019, the Russian and East European annual freshman publication Maria Alley, Senior Lecturer in Foreign Kahn Term Professor in the Humanities, In- Studies Department co-organized and participated in issue 6, summer 2019 Languages, Language Program Coordina- terim Undergraduate Chair. Dr. Platt works a highly anticipated conference, Is Russia Undermining tor. Dr. Alley’s interests include second lan- on representations of Russian history, Rus- Democracy in the West? Th e conference was a team ef- guage acquisition and language pedagogy, sian historiography, history and memory in fort with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Penn’s profi ciency testing, and materials develop- Russia, Russian lyric poetry, and global post- ment. Th is fall semester, Dr. Alley will teach: Soviet Russian culture. Th is fall semester, Dr. Platt will Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, • RUSS001 Elementary Russian I teach RUSS191: Putin’s Russia and RUSS250: Tarkovsky’s Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and • RUSS402 Soviet Childhood Passions. Economics, and Penn-Temple European Studies Col- loquium contributing to the organization of the event. Maria Bourlatskaya, Lecturer in Foreign Peter Steiner Scholars from various disciplines came together for a Languages. Dr. Bourlatskaya specializes in , Professor Emeritus. Dr. Stein- teaching advanced Russian content-based er’s major areas of research are literary theory full-day conference to discuss Russia’s role in disrupt- courses for business professionals with the and modern Slavic literature and culture. ing democracy abroad. Panels focused on the question use of fi lm, literature, and political and busi- of Russia undermining democracy in the West, elections ness materials. Her current research interest becoming cyber wars, and whether or not Russia’s strat- lies in techniques for training business professionals to Vladislav Todorov, Senior Lecturer. Dr. egy was backfi ring. REES’s Dr. Mitchell Orenstein and Todorov is the author of several scholarly develop and assess crcross-cultural competency. Th is fall Dr. Anna Mikulska presented their research. From the left : Dr. Mitchell Orenstein and HE A. Antonov books as well as an accomplished fi ction- and semester, Dr. Boulatskaya will teach RUSS311: Advanced Photography by Eric Sucar, University Communications Russian Conversation and Composition. screen- writer. Th ree of his novels were made into fi lms that garnered critical acclaim. Dr. On April 30, 2019, in collaboration with the Embassy of Kristen Ghodsee , Professor. Dr. Ghod- Todorov is a voting member of the European Russia in Washington, DC, and the Russian and East Euro- see’s research interests include the lived Film Academy. Th is fall semester, Dr. Todorov will teach pean Studies Department, Penn Russian Club brought His experience of socialism and postsocial- • RUSS111: Th e Art of Plotting Excellency Anatoly Antonov, the Russian Ambassador to ism, the gendered eff ects of the eco- • RUSS164 Russian Film from 1900 to 1945 nomic transition from communism to • RUSS575 Russian History in Film (online) the United States, to campus for an address and a question capitalism, and the ethnographic study & answer session. In conversation with REES’s own Dr. of postcommunist nostalgia in Central and East- Julia Verkholantsev, Associate Professor. Dr. Mitchell Orenstein, His Excellency discussed U.S.-Russian ern Europe. Th is fall semester, Dr. Ghodsee will teach: relations, “fake news”, and the urgent need for nuclear dis- • RUSS026 Behind the Iron Curtain Verkholantsev’s academic interests are in the • RUSS160 Sex and Socialism fi eld of cultural history, early modern and armament between the two nations. HE A. Antonov is cur- medieval literary and linguistic culture, and rently personally sanctioned by the E.U. and Canada for his the history of ideas. Th is academic year, Dr. Brian Kim, Assistant Professor. Dr. Kim role in Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when he was Verkholantsev will be on an academic leave. received his PhD from Stanford Univer- Dr. Mitchell Orenstein opens the conference the Deputy Minister of Defense. Th is was a rare opportu- sity. He is a specialist in Russian literature nity for the Penn community to hear Ambassador Antonov Lada Vassilieva of the long nineteenth century, translation , Instructor. Lada’s research address the audience and later answer their questions. Both interests include foreign language teach- studies, and literary and cultural relation- the address and the question & answer session are available ships between Russia, Western Europe, and ing methodology and Russian phraseology. What Is Our Department? East Asia. Th is fall semester, Dr. Kim will teach RUSS145: Th is fall semester, Ms. Vassilieva will teach It is: on REES’s social media channels. Masterpieces of 19th-century Russian Literature. RUSS001: Elementary Russian I. • a diverse group of scholars and students; ~ • Language programs designed for non-heritage Th is spring semester, the REES department had the honor Mila Nazyrova, Lecturer. Dr. Nazyrova’s Original idea, editing, and design by Alina Yakubova, Administrative of hosting two visiting scholars from the European Uni- research interests focus on Russian art and Coordinator and heritage learners; culture at the turn of the 20th century and Content: Katrina Janco, Maria Alley, Lada Vassilieva • exciting lecture series and roundtables on a versity at Saint Petersburg, Russia. Maria Pirogovskaia early Soviet era. Th is fall semester, Dr. Na- Photographs: faculty and staff of REES and Eric Sucar of University broad variety of cultural and political topics; and Anna Tuzova spent three months at the University of Communications zyrova will teach: • talent shows, concerts, poetry readings, under- Pennsylvania working on their research and collaborat- • RUSS360: Russian for Heritage Speak- graduate research conferences; ing with professors and graduate students. We wish Maria ers I Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.rees/ • student trips, Russian conversation hour (Rus- and Anna all the best in their careers! We look forward to • RUSS472: Moscow and Moscovites Twitter: https://twitter.com/Upenn_REES sian Tea), family atmosphere, and much more! working with them again in the future. sian movie series included the historical drama Space- Soviet cuisine as Pirogovskaia explored the connections In October of 2018, RUSS001 students attended the “Ro- Last Year at a Glance walker («Время первых»), cult classic Brother 2 («Брат between Soviet food, ideas of abundance, and gender per- meo and Juliet” ballet by S. Prokofi ev at the Academy of formance at the kitchen table. Th is talk was part of an an- Following a long-standing tradition, Penn Russian students 2») and the iconic Soviet fi lm, Moscow Does Not Be- Music in Philadelphia. Such cultural experiences allow thropological research project on food in the late-Soviet once again participated in the 2019 National Post-Sec- lieve in Tears («Москва слезам не верит»). Some fi lms students to develop a greater emphasis on refl ection and era being conducted by Pirogovskaia. ondary Russian Essay Contest organized by the American shown in the Ukrainian movie series included the criti- understanding of the Russian language and culture, and Council of Teachers of Russian. In this year’s contest, there cally acclaimed Th e Tribe («Плем’я»), the documenta- ~ balance classroom activities with outside-the-classroom were a total of 1434 essays submitted from 67 universities, ry Close Relations («Рідні» / «Родные»), and Th e Guide trips. Attendance of such events increases student moti- colleges, and institutions across the nation. As always, the («Поводир»), a fi lm about life in 1930’s Soviet Ukraine. vation for language learning while aff ording the students essays were rated by a panel of judges in Moscow, Russia. We are planning to have another Eastern European movie a chance to bond with their classmates. More cultural Two Penn students, Michael (Сева) Ehart and Tathagat series in the new academic year. Please check our social events of this nature are planned for the next academic (Влад) Bhatia were awarded the gold medal (fi rst place media for more information. year. nationally) and honorable mention in the second level of ~ instruction. Молодцы! In February 2019, REES hosted Mikhail Kozyrev, a promi- ~ nent Russian journalist, music critic, a producer, and founder Every Monday, students and faculty of all Russian lan- of one of Russia’s largest rock stations, Nashe Radio. On Feb- guage levels gathered for tea and cookies and honed ruary 19, he discussed his role in assembling the sound track their Russian language skills. Russian Tea has been and for Brother 2 («Брат-2») with Dr. Kevin M.F. Platt. Th is cult continues to be an excellent opportunity for students fi lm brought many Russian rock musicians to prominence, From the left : Dr. Kevin M.F. Platt, Dmitry Golynko, Anastasiya to practice their Russian in a more relaxed, non-class- including Zemfi ra and Bi-2. Th e auditorium was overfl ow- Osipova, Yanis Sinaiko, Galina Rymbu, and Pavel Arseniev room setting, and meet other Russian-speakers at Penn. ing with attendees with standing room only. Aft er the lec- ~ ture, Mr. Kozyrev answered questions from the audience. On November 27, 2019, the department had a special hon- At the end of the fall 2018 semester, Russian heritage stu- or of hosting a poetry reading and discussion with poets On February 21, for his second talk, Mr. Kozyrev was joined dents of RUSS474 (Anton Chekhov), put on a produc- and intellectuals from Russia and Ukraine. Pavel Arseniev by Hunter Heaney, the executive director of Th e Voice Proj- tion of the fi rst act of Chekhov’s “Seagull” («Чайка») and Dmitry Golynko of Saint Petersburg, Russia, and Ga- ect, an advocacy group focused on promoting freedom of in original Russian. Mikhail Lion, a Seattle area the- lina Rymbu and Yanis Sinaiko of Lviv, Ukraine, read their ~ artistic expression as an agent of social change, where they Th e third iteration of Your Language My Ear project ater director, co-directed this production in collabora- poetry and proved once again that poetry and politics not discussed music, youth culture, and protest in Russia. took place in March 2019. Th e project brings together tion with the course instructor, Dr. Djamilia Nazyrova. only mix but become a powerful tool and an instrument Russian and American poets, scholars, translators, and of change. Th is event was held at the Slought Foundation students of Russian poetry to celebrate and translate Th e performance was attended by students in diff erent lev- and was co-moderated by REES’ Dr. Kevin Platt and NYU’s contemporary poetry from Russian to English and vice els of Russian language courses, including fi rst-year Rus- Anastasiya Osipova. sian. REES and Dr. Nazyrova intended to recreate a true versa. Th is year’s symposium took place at fi rst at Princ- ~ eton University and continued at Penn with a bilingual Russian theatergoing experience for the students, both ac- Th e 16th Annual Slavic Bazaar, which took place in reading and a question & answer session at the Kelly tors and spectators. April 2019, was an all-day showcase of REES’s under- Writers House. Translating workshops and recording graduate research that spanned across the humanities sessions for poets and translators were held as well. Th e and social sciences. Th is also included two presentations fourth iteration of the project is expected to take place from students from Moscow’s Higher School of Econom- in 2021. ics. Th e keynote speaker was doctoral student Mariana Irby, whose presentation, “Scaff olds of Futures Past: Mi- gration, Memory, and Belonging in the former USSR” Upcoming Events On stage: Dr. Kevin Platt (left ) and Mikhail Kozyrev focused on the experiences of Tajik migrants during the Th e visit was organized by REES and Penn Russian Club, Soviet Union. Other topics ranged from joint U.S.-Russian • November 7 - 8, 2019: Social Impacts of Post- and cosponsored by the Perry World House, the Huntsman Peacekeeping in Bosnia by Bryce Klehm to Yehudit Da- Socialist Transition and Policies for the Future, an Program, CARGC, and the Browne Center. shevsky’s selected translations from “Requiem” by Anna international conference ~ Akhmatova. A student mixer concluded the day. Penn • December 2019: holiday party/talent show ~ In April, REES hosted a one-of-a-kind event that was equal students were able to discuss student life and cultural dif- • Spring 2020: 17th Annual Slavic Bazaar Th is past year, REES hosted two movie screening se- parts academic presentation and a feast. Dr. Maria Pirogov- ferences and similarities with their peers from Russia. • Weekly Russian Tea ries, thanks to our Fulbright Scholars Andriy Smytsnyuk skaia’s presented her research on gender roles in Soviet cel- • Eastern European Movie Series (Ukraine) and Vladimir Sviridov (Russia). Two con- ebrations in her well-researched and captivating presenta- We hope that this event is the fi rst in a series of collabora- • Guest lectures current series took place: one for Russian fi lms, and the tion titled “Th e Ostentatious Feasts: Performing Gender tive student research projects to take place at Penn and in • May 2020: REES majors and minors end-of-the- other for Ukrainian fi lms. Some fi lms shown in the Rus- at the Late Soviet Table”. Attendees enjoyed authentic Moscow in the future. year BBQ Molly Peeney, Lecturer. Her interests are Meet Our Faculty: in language pedagogy, early twentieth- Mitchell Orenstein, Professor, Department century Modernism, and creative writing. Th is fall semester, Dr. Peeney will teach: sputnik Chair. Dr. Orenstein is a scholar of inter- national politics focusing on the political • RUSS003 Intermediate Russian I Sput·nik economy of transition in Central and Eastern • RUSS197 Madness and Madmen in Rus- Russian, literally ‘fellow-traveler’: each of a series of Soviet artifi cial Europe. Th is fall semester, Dr. Orenstein will satellites, the fi rst of which (launched on October 4, 1957) was the sian Literature and Culture fi rst satellite to be placed in orbit. teach RUSS123: Russia and Eastern Europe in International Aff airs. Kevin M. F. Platt, Edmund J. and Louise W. On March 14, 2019, the Russian and East European annual freshman publication Maria Alley, Senior Lecturer in Foreign Kahn Term Professor in the Humanities, In- Studies Department co-organized and participated in issue 6, summer 2019 Languages, Language Program Coordina- terim Undergraduate Chair. Dr. Platt works a highly anticipated conference, Is Russia Undermining tor. Dr. Alley’s interests include second lan- on representations of Russian history, Rus- Democracy in the West? Th e conference was a team ef- guage acquisition and language pedagogy, sian historiography, history and memory in fort with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Penn’s profi ciency testing, and materials develop- Russia, Russian lyric poetry, and global post- ment. Th is fall semester, Dr. Alley will teach: Soviet Russian culture. Th is fall semester, Dr. Platt will Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, • RUSS001 Elementary Russian I teach RUSS191: Putin’s Russia and RUSS250: Tarkovsky’s Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and • RUSS402 Soviet Childhood Passions. Economics, and Penn-Temple European Studies Col- loquium contributing to the organization of the event. Maria Bourlatskaya, Lecturer in Foreign Peter Steiner Scholars from various disciplines came together for a Languages. Dr. Bourlatskaya specializes in , Professor Emeritus. Dr. Stein- teaching advanced Russian content-based er’s major areas of research are literary theory full-day conference to discuss Russia’s role in disrupt- courses for business professionals with the and modern Slavic literature and culture. ing democracy abroad. Panels focused on the question use of fi lm, literature, and political and busi- of Russia undermining democracy in the West, elections ness materials. Her current research interest becoming cyber wars, and whether or not Russia’s strat- lies in techniques for training business professionals to Vladislav Todorov, Senior Lecturer. Dr. egy was backfi ring. REES’s Dr. Mitchell Orenstein and Todorov is the author of several scholarly develop and assess cross-cultural competency. Th is fall Dr. Anna Mikulska presented their research. From the left : Dr. Mitchell Orenstein and HE A. Antonov books as well as an accomplished fi ction- and semester, Dr. Boulatskaya will teach RUSS311: Advanced Photography by Eric Sucar, University Communications Russian Conversation and Composition. screen- writer. Th ree of his novels were made into fi lms that garnered critical acclaim. Dr. On April 30, 2019, in collaboration with the Embassy of Kristen Ghodsee , Professor. Dr. Ghod- Todorov is a voting member of the European Russia in Washington, DC, and the Russian and East Euro- see’s research interests include the lived Film Academy. Th is fall semester, Dr. Todorov will teach pean Studies Department, Penn Russian Club brought His experience of socialism and postsocial- • RUSS111: Th e Art of Plotting Excellency Anatoly Antonov, the Russian Ambassador to ism, the gendered eff ects of the eco- • RUSS164 Russian Film from 1900 to 1945 nomic transition from communism to • RUSS575 Russian History in Film (online) the United States, to campus for an address and a question capitalism, and the ethnographic study & answer session. In conversation with REES’s own Dr. of postcommunist nostalgia in Central and East- Julia Verkholantsev, Associate Professor. Dr. Mitchell Orenstein, His Excellency discussed U.S.-Russian ern Europe. Th is fall semester, Dr. Ghodsee will teach: relations, “fake news”, and the urgent need for nuclear dis- • RUSS026 Behind the Iron Curtain Verkholantsev’s academic interests are in the • RUSS160 Sex and Socialism fi eld of cultural history, early modern and armament between the two nations. HE A. Antonov is cur- medieval literary and linguistic culture, and rently personally sanctioned by the E.U. and Canada for his the history of ideas. Th is academic year, Dr. Brian Kim, Assistant Professor. Dr. Kim role in Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when he was Verkholantsev will be on an academic leave. received his PhD from Stanford Univer- Dr. Mitchell Orenstein opens the conference the Deputy Minister of Defense. Th is was a rare opportu- sity. He is a specialist in Russian literature nity for the Penn community to hear Ambassador Antonov Lada Vassilieva of the long nineteenth century, translation , Instructor. Lada’s research address the audience and later answer their questions. Both interests include foreign language teach- studies, and literary and cultural relation- the address and the question & answer session are available ships between Russia, Western Europe, and ing methodology and Russian phraseology. What Is Our Department? East Asia. Th is fall semester, Dr. Kim will teach RUSS145: Th is fall semester, Ms. Vassilieva will teach It is: on REES’s social media channels. Masterpieces of 19th-century Russian Literature. RUSS001: Elementary Russian I. • a diverse group of scholars and students; ~ • Language programs designed for non-heritage Th is spring semester, the REES department had the honor Mila Nazyrova, Lecturer. Dr. Nazyrova’s Original idea, editing, and design by Alina Yakubova, Administrative of hosting two visiting scholars from the European Uni- research interests focus on Russian art and Coordinator and heritage learners; culture at the turn of the 20th century and Content: Katrina Janco, Maria Alley, Lada Vassilieva • exciting lecture series and roundtables on a versity at Saint Petersburg, Russia. Maria Pirogovskaia early Soviet era. Th is fall semester, Dr. Na- Photographs: faculty and staff of REES and Eric Sucar of University broad variety of cultural and political topics; and Anna Tuzova spent three months at the University of Communications zyrova will teach: • talent shows, concerts, poetry readings, under- Pennsylvania working on their research and collaborat- • RUSS360: Russian for Heritage Speak- graduate research conferences; ing with professors and graduate students. We wish Maria ers I Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.rees/ • student trips, Russian conversation hour (Rus- and Anna all the best in their careers! We look forward to • RUSS472: Moscow and Moscovites Twitter: https://twitter.com/Upenn_REES sian Tea), family atmosphere, and much more! working with them again in the future.