Center for Slavic and East European Studies University of California Berkeley, California Newsletter 94720 Notes from the Chair Summer 1996 As this newsletter goes to press, our region remains at the top of the news. The Vol. 13. No. 2 forthcoming Russian presidential election, an event with grave implications for the country’s future, has given rise to much speculation and concern. Coming in In this Issue: the wake of left-wing electoral victories in some East European countries, this Notes from the Chair ..1 particular election will have far-reaching consequences for the future of Faculty, Student, and democracy and economic reform not just in Russia but among the multitude of Alumni Notes ......... 2, 3 new nations that have emerged in the former Soviet empire. Faculty and graduate Memorials .................. 3 students associated with the Berkeley Center for Slavic and East European Studies Jerzy Illg: are closely following the election, and some of us will be in Russia when people Challenges of Publishing go to the polls in June and, most likely, again in July. Next fall we are planning a in Poland ..................... 4 roundtable discussion devoted to an analysis of the Russian elections and their David Shneer aftermath. The Birobidhan Idea . 8 The Russian election roundtable is only one of a number of projects we are now Svetlana S. Mintz beginning to organize for next year. At the moment, however, we are taking a rest “Provincial Culture” in Contemporary Russian from an active year at the Center. It is amazing to consider how many conferences Studies ...................... 11 and symposia the Center organized or sponsored during the 1995-1996 academic year. This spring alone we have had “The Russian Stravinsky” symposium and Ethnographies of Transition ................. 13 conferences on “Strategies of Nationhood in Multiethnic Settings” (Berkeley- Outreach ................... 14 Stanford Conference), “Double Lives: Women Writing in the Russian Tradition” Library News ............ 15 (organized by Slavic department graduate students), “Ethnographies in Transition” Fellowships and Other (organized by Michael Burawoy and Katherine Verdery), “Russia, 1913: A Cultural Opportunities ........... 16 Reconstruction” (organized by Olga Matich), “Writing Russian Cultural History” Retrospective .......... 18 (the second Tartu-Berkeley Colloquium organized by Slavic department graduate Associates of the students), “Crisis in the Balkans: An Historical and Contemporary View” (the Slavic Center ............ 19 Annual Teachers Outreach Conference), and “The Past as Prelude: The Cultural, Social and Political Roots of Identity in the Caucasus” (organized by Edward Newsletter of the Center for Slavic Walker as part of the Graduate Program in Caucasus Studies). As you can see, the and East European Studies Center has provided an extraordinary array of stimulating and informative events— University of California at Berkeley, 361 Stephens Hall, all of them well attended! Berkeley, CA, 94720-2304 In addition, we have sponsored a great many bag lunches and lectures, including Editors: Monique Nowicki, the Colin Miller Endowed Lecture that brought Johns Hopkins’ anthropologist Barbara Voytek, and Ania Wertz. Katherine Verdery to the campus for a memorable presentation. Our working 510/642-9107 groups have continued to flourish and the Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post- The Newsletter is published quar- terly during the academic year. Soviet Studies, under the direction of George Breslauer, remains a vital presence, Please send suggestions, correc- intellectual center, and source of support for dozens of graduate students in various tions or inquiries to the editor(s) at disciplines. the above address. The submission The Center has prepared for publication an edited volume, Identities in deadline for our next issue is Au- Transition: East Europe and Russia After Communism (IAS Press), based on the gust 1, 1996. Submit mailing ad- dress changes to the Center attn: 1995 Outreach Conference. The volume should be available by the time classes Tatiana Vinkovetsky or call 510/ resume in the fall semester. Finally, I want to mention that many of our Center 642-3230. We welcome your com- faculty have been participating in a major research project, “Europe East and West: ments and suggestions. Chair’s Notes continued from page 1 Student Notes Challenges to Sovereignty from Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post- the International Research and Above and Below,” organized by the Soviet Studies Fellowship support has Exchanges Board (IREX). Ania Wertz Slavic Center in cooperation with the been awarded to the following Berkeley (history) receieved an academic year Berkeley Center for German and students: Summer Language Training scholarship from the Kosciuszkio European Studies. Over the next Fellowships go to Catherine Dale, Foundation. Marc Howard and Lise academic year, we plan to hold several David Hoffman, Mark Howard, and Svenson (both political science) and meetings of this interdisciplinary Kari Johnstone (political science). Peter Blitstein (history) have been research group and eventually to Maranatha Ivanova (political science) awarded grants by Berkeley’s Institute publish the papers. received a Summer Research Grant. for International Studies for academic It has been possible for the Center to Mike Carpenter (political science), year 1996-97. Keith Darden (political sustain such a rich and varied program Mark Howard (political science), Jan science) has been awarded a Berkeley of activities because of the efforts of Plamper (history), Keith Darden Fellowship from the Graduate Division, Barbara Voytek and Edward Walker, (political science), and Lise Svenson and Maranatha Ivanova, also in together with the Center staff. We (political science) are the recipients of political science, has been given a have been fortunate to have had the Graduate Training Fellowships. Predissertation Fellowship by the Social continued excellent cooperation of Dissertation Fellowships have been given Science Research Council. our faculty and graduate students. The to Tadashi Anno (political science), Slavic Center Travel Grants. The strength of our campus community is Elzbieta Benson (sociology), Peter demand for travel grants was particularly matched by the goodwill and Blitstein (history), and Serge high this year, perhaps reflecting the intellectual curiosity of the off- Glushkoff (geography). dynamism of those in Slavic and East campus community, who attend our Foreign Language and Area Studies European Studies at Berkeley, as well as events with great enthusiasm and Fellowships, for summer language the tightening of available sources. provide financial support through the training are going to the following Because of the increased demand, some Associates of the Slavic Center graduate students: from the department of the funds contributed by our Annual Giving program. of political science, Marc Howard will Associates were earmarked for travel At a time when many centers, be studying Russian, and Kari Johnstone grants. Travel grants for paper departments, and scholars who focus will be immersed in Hungarian. Jonathan presentations were awarded to Shari on East Europe and the Former Soviet Barnes will be studying Bulgarian and Cohen, Ph.D. candidate in political Union are suffering serious decline, Andrew Dolbey, Finnish — both from science; Sarah Cover and Jacqueline we are pleased to note that the the department of linguistics. From the Friedlander, Ph.D. candidates in Berkeley Slavic Center continues to history department, Christine Kulke history; and Robert Wessling, Ph.D. flourish. We are grateful to the UCB was awarded a FLAS for Polish and Chad candidate in Slavic languages and administration, and especially Richard Bryant for Czech language study. Diana literatures. Andreas Johns and Jennifer Buxbaum, dean of International and Cheren, department of art history, and Wilder, both Ph.D. candidates in Slavic, Area Studies, for helping us to Nathaniel Lew, from the music gave presentations at the AATSEEL maintain our preeminent position in department, each received FLAS awards meetings in Chicago in December. A the field of Slavic and East European for summer study of Russian. Marie travel grant for the domestic portion of studies. Alice L’Heureux will be immersed in his trip to present a paper at the University In closing, I want to mention with the study of Estonian, thanks to a FLAS of Milan was awarded to Evgenii much sadness the passing of Frank summer language training grant, while Bershtein, department of Slavic Whitfield, emeritus professor of Michelle Viise from Slavic languages languages and literatures. Ph.D. Slavic languages and literatures, on and literatures will be studying Polish. candidate in anthropology, Jason Bass, February 28. Frank was an eminent The FLAS fellowships are funded by the received a grant to present at the Society scholar, a legendary teacher and Department of Education Title VI grant for American Archaeology meeting in mentor, and a generous colleague. It to the Center for Slavic and East New Orleans in April. Other awards was my great privilege to know him European Studies. included a grant to Ilya Vinkovetsky, for nearly twenty-five years. We are Ph.D. candidate in history, Elzbieta Jeffrey Robins (political science) and all impoverished by his death. Benson, sociology, and Helen Lenda, Marie Alice L’Heureux (architecture) city planning. Congratulations to all. Victoria E. Bonnell, have been awarded grants for