The Birch

Slavic Summer Sampling

2011-09-06T18:39:00.001-07:00

We hope you all made a splash around town on your first fall day back to classes or work! We're really excited for another Slav-tastic semester here at the Birch, and to kick things off we've compiled a Slavic Summer Sampling of our favorites from this season. Enjoy!

THEATER
Cate Blanchett may be the only person officially forgiven for lambasting Chekhov as "a bugger" (see Urban Dictionary for various unrepeatable interpretations of the word)-- this summer she stunned DC audiences with a perfectly languid performance as Elena Andreevna, object of obsession for Uncle Vanya and his provincial associates. The Sydney Theatre Company brought a bizarre, Australianized version of the play to American audiences this August, performing a the tricky tragicomic balancing act that Chekhov always requires.

Check out the interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNFA10Fci38

BOOKS

Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story sketches the floundering travails of a Jewish Russian in love. An uproarious romp a la 1984, this novel charts the romance of an aging protagonist and his younger lover, who in an increasingly monitored world attempt to enjoy the few moments of privacy that love provides them.

Read the review here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/books/27book.html

Anya Ulinich’s Petropolis

Ulinich’s darkly funny, and surprisingly touching new novel brings us into the Siberian wasteland known as Asbestos 2. Its cast of characters provide a splash of color in an otherwise gray post-industrial backdrop. Ulinich’s plucky and plump protagonist is Sasha Goldberg. Under the thumb of her anxious and aggressive mother, she begins art classes despite the fact that her skills barely exceed a firm grip of a pencil and from there, her world begins to expand from a bleak realm of limited possibilities to one that could include a brighter future in America—albeit, one that takes her (via a mail order bride agency) to the desiccated desert of Phoenix, Arizona where strip malls and saguaros replace the smoke stacks and shacks of Asbestos 2. All the while searching for her father who abandoned her, she travels across the country and her experiences are wonderfully and wittily described by Ullinich.

MOVIES

Viktor Pelevin’s Generation P, which attained cult status as a novel, has been transposed onto the silver screen, bringing the average viewer into the tumultuous, slang-riddled, sweaty landscape of Russia in the 1990s. It charts the transformations of a society and a man, Vavilen Tatarsky, as he grapples with the chaotic post-Soviet landscape. However, be warned—this movie has yet to be subtitled, so it is only recommended for those who want to brush up on their Russian (and specifically, on their русский мат).

Watching Nimród Antal’s film Kontroll is like drunkenly clamoring aboard an un-air conditioned Budapest metro car-- intoxicating and suffocating all at the same time. The film follows the efforts of rival teams of ticket controllers as they battle to prove their prowess in the shady underworld of the city’s transit authority. A highlight of this cinematic whirlwind involves a wild costume party in the metro and the reoccurring disarmingly charming presence of a train conductor’s daughter, dressed in a bear costume, aimlessly riding the metro with no ticket. Without going above ground, Antal’s film illuminates a world that is usually not given much thought once its commuters stuff their stubs in their pockets and step aboard their trains.

Watch the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3902013721/

Our Spring Russian Poetry Night!

2011-07-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Images from OASIES's Spring Conference!

2011-07-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

We cannot wait to see what OASIES has organized for next year!

An Interview with Wyatt Ford (CC’09), Deputy Editor of The Kazan Herald

2011-07-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, we had the opportunity to chat with Wyatt Ford about his adventures abroad. Check out what he has to say about working for a newspaper in Russia!

Tell me about The Kazan Herald. How did it begin? How did you get involved?

The Kazan Herald is the brainchild of Rustem Yunusov, the current Editor-In-Chief. Rustem went to Serbia in 2009, as part of a student-volunteer delegation sent from Tatarstan to help out at the Universiade. While there, he came across a popular English-language newspaper. Rustem immediately saw that a similar paper would be hugely beneficial for Kazan and Tatarstan, with the huge influx of English-speaking tourists that would come to the Universiade in Kazan in 2013. In April 2009, Kazan also became the official third capital of Russia, after St. Petersburg and Moscow, both of which have independent, English-language newspapers. It was only logical that Kazan needed its own, so that it could rightly take its place in the newly-formed troika.

The next year, Rustem saw the rationale for founding such a paper in Kazan become even stronger, as record tourists figures were projected for 2010, and the city and republic began to make concrete preparations for the incoming English-speakers. Having a background in journalism himself—he had interned for Florida’s Daytona Beach News Journal while living in the United States in 2006, graduated from Kazan State University’s Journalism and Sociology Department, and worked for various local media in Tatarstan—Rustem decided to put together a team and start an independent, English-language newspaper himself. The Kazan Herald’s first issue came out on 7 May 2010.

I first came across The Kazan Herald in June 2010 in IQ Bar. Holding the paper in my hands, I immediately felt the latent writer within me reawaken. (I was heavily involved in my high school’s independent newspaper, and contributed periodically to the Spectator during my years at Columbia.) After a three-month sojourn in the United States, I returned to Kazan, finally met Rustem in October, and began collaborating with him and the rest of The Kazan Herald’s editorial staff.

To date, The Kazan Herald has published eleven print issues, and maintains a regularly-updated website, thekazanherald.com.

What kind of hurdles have you overcome during this process?

One significant hurdle was the need to expand the writer base from the core group that was involved with the paper from the very beginning. We have managed to do this recently, by tapping into the various international students who, under different flags and in differing capacities, find themselves in Kazan. The Kazan Herald has begun holding bimonthly meetings for the paper’s enthusiasts and contributors to meet, discuss the direction and content of the paper, and come up with new article ideas. This process has yielded interesting results, most noticeably redirecting the focus of coverage to emphasize the arts and cultural offerings of Kazan.

The most significant hurdle that remains is stabilizing the newspaper’s finances. Advertisers are very cautious here and have failed to see the potential of advertising in a paper aimed at an educated audience.

What kind of audience is the Kazan Herald addressing?

The audience is two-fold. First, it is English-speakers in Kazan, whether on business, tourism, or living here. The paper is designed to provide English-language information to them that they might otherwise have trouble gathering through the Russian-language sources.

Equally important, however, is our second audience: locals studying English. We are conscious that this paper is a valuable resource for them, as it is a trove of authentic materials that they can relate to. The articles are written for the first audience, but we try to make them as accessible to students as possible. We’ve created several lesson plans based on articles in the paper, and have recently begun recording audio files of the texts with the hopes that English teachers will incorporate them into their lesson plans. And indeed, this is already happening. Just yesterday, an acquaintance told me that his university teachers are using The Kazan Herald articles as springboards for group conversation tasks.

What role does social media play in the development of your paper? Is your audience more responsive to your online work? 

It is no surprise that social media has helped us build our readership. Our statistics are very clear: most of the visitors to our site get there through links they’ve found on Facebook, Twitter, or Vkontakte. With the print version, it is more of a guessing game. It’s harder to know who is reading the paper. Still, that the papers do not last long in the hotel lobbies and cafes suggests that people are taking them and reading them. Similarly, the letters that we’ve gotten from America and Europe demonstrate what has so far been our pattern of development: foreigners discover the paper in print form and then continue to read it upon leaving Tatarstan.

Freestyle!

The Kazan Herald is a work in process. Any comments or feedback would be welcome. Visit us at our website or e-mail us at thekazanherald@inbox.ru.

"20 Most Important Russian Reads": What do YOU think about this list?

2011-05-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/the-20-most-important-russian-reads/

Tunes from Russia and Beyond this Week!

2011-05-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Russia and Beyond:

Music from Former Soviet Republics

The Russian Chamber Chorus of New York invites you to the first concert in our new series, Russia and Beyond: Music from Former Soviet Republics. We're excited to share with you our musical exploration of the republics of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Tuva, and Russia.

The Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are known around the world for their highly developed choral cultures. RCCNY will join this tradition, singing choral gems by the master composers Tormis, Dambis, and Bajoras, frequently performed in their native countries and in Europe. Our program offers quiet contemplation, human drama, and joyful celebration, flavored with a Tuvan folk song featuring the khomus and throat singing.

Wednesday, May 11, 8:00 pm at St. Joseph's Church in the Village:
Buy tickets now

Sunday, May 15, 3:00 p.m. at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church: Tickets available at the door only

"Splendid...radiant and sonorous" -- The New York Times

Lithuania
"The Great Mystery" by Feliksas Bajoras (b. 1934). Inspired by a poem by Lithuanian priest Jonas Zukauskas, this piece has a haunting, powerful sense of spiritual contemplation.

Latvia

"Songs of the Sea" by Pauls Dambis (b. 1936). This three-part choral cycle paints a tragic history through tolling bells and whispering waves.

Estonia

"Livonian Heritage," a cycle from "Forgotten Peoples" by Veljo Tormis (b. 1930). This is Tormis's effort to rescue six Baltic cultures from extinction -- and it's more than an academic exercise, it's brimming with nature and life.

Tuva

"Handagaity," arranged by Alexei Chyrgal-Ool (1924-1989). This folk song is accompanied by the khomus, a traditional Tuvan instrument, and with the throat style of overtone singing.

Russia

"Concerto for Cello and Chamber Choir" by Alexander Kholminov (b. 1925). It's rare for a composer to write a cello concerto accompanied by a chorus instead of an orchestra. Our soloist is the gifted young cellist, Adrian Daurov.

Ticket price reductions are available for students and seniors age 65+. For further details and the full concert program, please visit our Concert Schedule.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Russia and Beyond: Music from Former Soviet Republics is made possible in part with public funds from the Fund for Creative Communities, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts and administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

The Russian Chamber Chorus of New York is a proud 2011 member of Sing New York!

2011-04-26T13:17:00.001-07:00

If you cannot make it to "A Global Piano and Literary Salon: From Russia with Love" (tonight) or our event "An Evening of Russian Prose, Poetry, and Food" (Thursday night), then try to go to the following event, which will feature Igor Belov, Viktor Ivaniv, Ksenia Shcherbino and Fedor Svarovskiy! You have three opportunities to hear these prominent poets recite their work!

New Russian Poetry: A Bilingual Reading

Friday, April 29, 2011 at 6:30pm

The National Arts Club, Sculpture Court

15 Gramercy Park South

Free. Seating is limited. RSVP at http://www.cecartslink.org/wordpress/2011/03/31/new-russian-poetry/

Note: business casual attire is requested by the National Arts Club.

Join us for a beautiful spring evening of poetry with four of Russia’s rising literary talents, participants of the 2011 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. Igor Belov, Viktor Ivaniv, Ksenia Shcherbino and Fedor Svarovskiy will read selections from their work, with New York poets John Coletti and Laura Sims reading the English translations. Followed by a Q&A and light reception.

Presented by CEC ArtsLink as part of the Open World Cultural Leaders Program.

Reminder: PEN World Voices, Russian Events

2011-04-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature

HIGHLIGHTS FEATURING AUTHORS FROM RUSSIA

*A Global Piano and Literary Salon: From Russia with Love

When: Tuesday, April 26

Where: The Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC, 44 Charlton St., New York City

What time: 7 p.m.

Igor Belov and Ksenia Shcherbino, two of Russia’s young, rising literary talents read from their latest works. Sip a glass of wine, and enjoy musical renderings by pianist Svetlana Smolina. A conversation about the global impact of Russian culture will follow. Hosted by Ina Parker. For more info

Tickets: ***$5 OFF: use code RUSSIA***

$25; includes a complimentary glass of wine. Call (866) 811-4111 or visit wnyc.org

Co-sponsored by HSBC, WNYC Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and Fritt Ord. AOC Fine Wines is the exclusive artisanal wine provider of The Greene Space.

*In Conversation: Vladimir Sorokin and Keith Gessen

When: Saturday, April 30

Where: The Cooper Union, Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Sq., New York City

What time: 4:30–6 p.m.

Great Russian Vladimir Sorokin, considered by many to be the next Roberto Bolaño, discusses his work with young literary star Keith Gessen, editor-in-chief of the celebrated journal n+1. English translations of his masterpieces, Ice Trilogy and Day of the Oprichnik: A Novel, arrive in bookstores this year. Not to be missed! For more info

Tickets: $15/$10 PEN Members, students with valid ID. Call (866) 811-4111 or visit ovationtix.com

Co-sponsored by The Cooper Union

*Vladimir Sorokin: Ice Trilogy (Play Reading)

When: Saturday, April 30

Where: St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral Gymnasium, 268 Mulberry St., New York City

What time: 7 p.m.

See a live performance of Sorokin’s American debut, Ice Trilogy, a riveting suspense novel about the 20th century Soviet Union to modern-day Russia. Directed by the Hungarian film and theater director Kornél Mundruczó. For more info

Tickets: $10. Call (866) 811-4111 or visit ovationtix.com

Co-sponsored by Trust for Mutual Understanding and Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, CUNY Graduate School

*Russia in Two Acts

When: Sunday, May 1

Where: The Morgan Library & Museum, Lehrman Hall, 225 Madison Ave., New York City

What time: 1 p.m.

With Jamey Gambrell, Garry Kasparov, Vladmir Sorokin, and Fedor Svarovskiy; moderated by Christian Caryl.

Watch a World Champion chess player, now journalist, unravel the complexities of Russia’s cultural and geopolitical landscape. With Jamey Gambrell, Garry Kasparov, Vladmir Sorokin, and Fedor Svarovskiy; moderated by Christian Caryl. For more info

Tickets: $25/$20 for PEN/Morgan Members and students with valid ID. Call (866) 811-4111 or visit ovationtix.com

Co-sponsored by The Morgan Library & Museum, New York Review of Books, and Fritt Ord

For a complete schedule of events, visit: http://www.pen.org/festival

Kazakh Artist, Almagul Menlibayeva's Exhibit in Chelsea, Showing Until May 14th

2011-04-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

March 24 - May 14, 2011

Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 to 6:00 PM or by appointment.

PRISKA C. JUSCHKA FINE ART

P R E S E N T S

Almagul Menlibayeva

Transoxiana Dreams

Priska C. Juschka Fine Art is pleased to present Transoxiana Dreams, Kazakh artist Almagul Menlibayeva’s fourth solo exhibition at the gallery. Menlibayeva films mythological narratives placed and staged in the vast landscape of her native Kazakhstan ravaged by 60 years of Soviet occupation. She leads her audience to the brutally changed region of the Aral Sea where its indigenous people live in the Aralkum, the desert of a once thriving region now entirely devoid of water due to radical Soviet irrigation politics...

In Transoxiana Dreams, Menlibayeva, a pictorial sorceress herself, breeds an eccentric storyline and fantastical imagery extracted deeply from her own atavistic repertoire, and leading visionally through an existing, yet unimaginable landscape in a distant and hypnagogic world.

For more information and a biography of the artist, click here.

A Birch Event!

2011-04-24T15:56:00.001-07:00

Please join us THIS THURSDAY for an evening of Russian poetry, prose, and food. Help us welcome Fedor Svarovskiy, Viktor Ivaniv, and Igor Belov (see previous post), who will be participating in the PEN World Voices Festival. Visit us in Hamilton to hear a series of readings in both the original Russian and English. Professor Nepomnyashchy will moderate this event. Russian food and drinks will be provided.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28TH

702 HAMILTON

7:00 PM-9:00 PM

This event is co-sponsored by the Slavic Department, the Harriman Institute, the Arts Initiative at Columbia University, CEC Arts Link.

Guests will get a sneak peek of our SPRING 2011 ISSUE!

Poetry, Music, and Wine! This Tuesday!

2011-04-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: A Global Piano and Literary Salon, 7 pm (Tuesday)  

The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space 44 Charlton Street (At Varick)   

Join us as Igor Belov and Ksenia Shcherbino — two of Russia’s rising young literary talents — read from their latest works and piano virtuoso Svetlana Smolina performs. Hosted by Ina Parker.   Presented in partnership with PEN World Voices Festival and PianoCulture.com.  Sponsored by HSBC.  

Tickets: $25 at thegreenespace.org  includes complimentary glass of wine and a Russian-inspired snack

Events This Week (4/24)

2011-04-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Recent Fatwas from the Ulema Council of Afghanistan: the Role of Islamic Jurisprudence in Afghanistan in the Post-9/11 Era, 12:00 pm (Monday)

Please join the Harriman institute for a talk by Dr. Emily Jane O'Dell (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Columbia).  Since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Ulema Council of Afghanistan has been playing an influential role in political affairs and civil society. Recent fatwas (religious opinions) from the Ulema Council of Afghanistan demonstrate the Council's influence over legislative and judicial matters, and illustrate how the Ulema Council attempts to reconcile Afghanistan's constitution with Islamic law. This talk will analyze how recent fatwas from the Ulema Council promote a distinct brand of Islam for the nation and adjudicate agendas of secularization and reform in domestic politics, international relations, human rights, and the media.

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Can Social Journalism Make a Difference in Russia? 707 SIPA, 6:15 pm (Monday)

Please join the Paul Klebnikov Fund along with the Harriman Institute and School of Journalism, Columbia University for a talk by Katya Kronhaus, Deputy Editor of Bolshoi Gorod—the popular magazine dedicated to modern life and culture in Moscow—as she discusses what it is like to investigate Russia’s pressing social issues with characteristic wit and humor. Previous articles of hers have covered a wide range, from cyber culture to neglect of aging veterans. Her satirical portrayal of able-bodied citizens trying to navigate city streets in wheelchairs prompted Moscow authorities to begin building much-needed access ramps. Katya will be in New York for two weeks as the newest winner of the Paul Klebnikov Fund Civil Society Fellowship, starting April 25th.  The Paul Klebnikov Fund was established in the memory of Paul Klebnikov, American journalist and editor of Forbes Russia, who was assassinated in Moscow in 2004. The Fund upholds the growth of civil society in Russia by supporting journalistic integrity, the rule of law and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

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Towards a New Architecture for Politico-Military Security in Europe: The Role of the OSCE, 1219 SIPA, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm (Tuesday)

Please join the Harriman Institute for a talk by Petros Efthymiou, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), member of the Greek Parliament, and Former Minister of Education of the Hellenic Republic.  Co-sponsored by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, USA.

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Strategic Security and Political and Military Threats in the Black Sea Region, 1219 SIPA, 12:15 pm (Thursday)

Please join the Harriman Institute for a talk by General Constantin Degeratu (Former National Security and Defense Advisor to the President of Romania).

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In Conversation: Vladimir Sorokin and Keith Gessen, 4:30 pm – 6 pm (Saturday)

The Cooper Union, Frederick P. Rose Auditorium 41 Cooper Square New York City  

Tickets: $15/$10 for friends of The Harriman Institute, New York Review readers, PEN/Morgan Members or students with valid ID.  Use discount code "pen11"  Call (866) 811-4111 for tickets or for more information or to purchase tickets online visit http://www.nybooks.com/calendar/event-59/  

Vladimir Sorokin is one of Russia’s most accomplished and well-regarded novelists and dramatists. NYRB Classics published The Queue and, in March 2011, the English translation,by Jamey Gambrell, of his masterpiece, Ice Trilogy. His novel, Day of the Oprichnik, also arrives in bookstores this year. Listen to Sorokin discuss his work with young literary star Keith Gessen, editor-in-chief of the celebrated journal n+1.    

Vladimir Sorokin: ICE TRILOGY (Play Reading), 7 pm (Saturday)

Old Gym, 268 Mulberry Street, New York City

With Vladimir Sorokin and Kornel Mundruczo. See a live performance, directed by the Hungarian film and theater director Kornel Mundruczo, based on great Russian writer Vladimir Sorokin's American debut, Ice Trilogy, a riveting suspense novel about the twentieth century Soviet Union to modern-day Russia.

Tickets: $10

Call (866) 811-4111 for tickets or for more information or to purchase tickets online visit http://www.nybooks.com/calendar/event-59/

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Russia in Two Acts, 1 pm (Sunday)

The Morgan Library & Museum, Lehrman Hall 225 Madison Avenue New York City  

With New York Review contributors Garry Kasparov, Jamey Gambrell, and Christian Caryl!Plus Vladimir Sorokin and Fedor Svarovskiy!!

Watch a world champion chess player, now journalist, unravel the complexities of Russia’s cultural and geopolitical landscape. In part one of this event, Garry Kasparov will offer his personal spin on the state of contemporary Russian politics and culture. After a brief intermission, a panel of Russian experts—from critics to novelists—will comment on Kasparov’s talk and engage in a debate about where this mammoth country is headed.  

Tickets: $25/$20 for friends of The Harriman Institute, New York Review readers, PEN/Morgan Members or students with valid ID. Use discount code "pen11" 

Call (866) 811-4111 For more information or to purchase tickets online visit http://www.nybooks.com/calendar/event-60/

Movie Screening Tonight!!!

2011-04-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

RIA was able to invite Nurbek Egen, who has come all the way from Kyrgyzstan to speak about his new movie "Manas Birth as a Premonition" in New York City. Manas is a great legendary hero, who united different Kyrgyz tribes and brought them peace and prosperity. His existence is accounted in an epic poem titled "Manas," which is 20 times longer than "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad" combined. While Kyrgyzstan has a rich cultural history, it is relatively unknown in the West. Most people know that it is a politically and economically unstable country, ousting two presidents in the last five years, one of which was last spring.

Tonight, you will get a chance to speak with the producers of the movie. In the movie, Nurbek Egen follows eight people from different social classes, who all hope that one day a great leader--a leader like Manas--will finally bring peace and prosperity to the nation.

Here are some links that may be of interest:

http://www.auca.kg/en/press_room/news_feature/news=603&PHPSESSID=979e1ab4ae78c88a4743a2f62f199f6f

http://bestkino.net/director/nurbek-yegen/

Please read more about the director here: http://bestkino.net/director/nurbek-yegen/

Please join RIA tonight in 304 Hamilton at 8 pm!

TODAY Careers in Human Rights: A Panel Discussion

2011-04-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 7th
6:00pm-7:30pm
Lindsay Rogers Room (707)
International Affairs Building, 420 W. 118th Street

What are the current professional opportunities available to human rights students? What skills, credentials, and experiences are valuable? What are the benefits and challenges of various types of human rights work?

Human rights professionals will discuss their current work and previous professional experiences, and offer insights and advice to students who are interested in pursuing and developing a career in human rights.

The panelists are engaged in various forms of human rights work and have focused on a range of issues, including children's rights, minority rights, immigration, humanitarian affairs, and development and human rights.

Panelists Include:

Dana Bancesco Human Resources Partner, International Rescue Committee

Meg Gardinier Director, Arigatou International

Elizabeth R. OuYang Civil rights attorney, President of OCA-New York Chapter

Jagoda Walorek Policy Analyst on Human Rights, UNDP New York, Democratic Governance Group/Bureau for Development Policy (DGG/BDP)

Don't Miss BIJELO DUGME Tonight!

2011-04-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Language in the USSR

2011-04-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

"The Politics and Pragmatics of Translation in the USSR: The Daily Life of Language in a Multi-National Empire," 1512 SIPA (Thursday–Friday)

This conference will bring together scholars from various disciplines across the humanities and social sciences to discuss the politics of language and the pragmatics of language policy under state socialism in one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world. Invoking “translation” in the broadest terms, the conference will address such topics as the art of translation of formal literary works from minority languages into Russian (i.e., Boris Pasternak’s use of cribs to translate Georgian literature without ever learning the Georgian language), practices of code-switching between official and local languages in informal conversation as well as formal literary contexts, and the mobilization of local language ideologies as a form of resistance against the hegemony of the Russian language in every aspect of daily experience. In an effort to understand the politics and pragmatics of translation in the USSR in comparative perspective, the conference program also features scholars whose work addresses similar problems elsewhere in the world and in other socio-historical contexts.

Keynote speakers: David Bellos, Princeton University and Nancy Condee, University of Pittsburgh.

For more information, contact Lauren Ninoshvili. Conference Program

Events This Week

2011-04-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

"Roundtable on Emma Gilligan's Terror in Chechnya: Russia and the Tragedy of Civilians in War (Princeton University Press, 2010)," SIPA 1512, 4:25-6 pm (Monday)

"Terror in Chechnya is the definitive account of Russian war crimes in Chechnya. Emma Gilligan provides a comprehensive history of the second Chechen conflict of 1999 to 2005, revealing one of the most appalling human rights catastrophes of the modern era--one that has yet to be fully acknowledged by the international community. Drawing upon eyewitness testimony and interviews with refugees and key political and humanitarian figures, Gilligan tells for the first time the full story of the Russian military's systematic use of torture, disappearances, executions, and other punitive tactics against the Chechen population.

In Terror in Chechnya, Gilligan challenges Russian claims that civilian casualties in Chechnya were an unavoidable consequence of civil war. She argues that racism and nationalism were substantial factors in Russia's second war against the Chechens and the resulting refugee crisis. She does not ignore the war crimes committed by Chechen separatists and pro-Moscow forces. Gilligan traces the radicalization of Chechen fighters and sheds light on the Dubrovka and Beslan hostage crises, demonstrating how they undermined the separatist movement and in turn contributed to racial hatred against Chechens in Moscow.

This panel brings together a group of distinguished scholars and experts to discuss the arguments and findings of Gilligan's book.

Panelists:

Emma Gilligan, Assistant Professor of Russian History and Human Rights, University of Connecticut. She is also the author of Defending Human Rights in Russia: Sergei Kovalyov, Dissident and Human Rights Commissioner, 1969-2003.

Jason Lyall, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Yale University

Kimberly Marten, Professor of Political Science, Barnard College

Diederik Lohman, Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch

This event is part of the “Human Rights in the Post-Communist World: Strategies and Outcomes ” series (Harriman Core Project 2010-2011, Co-Directed by Alexander Cooley and Jack Snyder). This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP. Seating is on a first come, first served basis."

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"A Reading by Ludmila Ulitskaya," Seminar Room 1, Faculty House, 6:00 pm (Tuesday)

Renowned Russian author Ludmila Ulitskaya will give a reading from her new novel Daniel Stein, Interpreter (Overlook Press, 2011). Ulitskaya is the author of twelve fiction books, of three tales for children and of six plays staged by a number of theatres in Russia and in Germany. She is frequently called the most profound and far-reaching author of the contemporary Russian literature. She made her first appearance on the literary stage as a short-story writer; several collections of Ulitskaya's short stories published under various titles are full of rich color and psychological details. Then followed several novels, each having become an important event of Russian literature of our days. Ludmila Ulitskaya is one of the most published modern Russian writers abroad. This event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Modern Russia and the Harriman Institute.

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"From Belgrade to Cairo: The Strategy and Organization of Non-Violent Revolution," 1501 IAB, 12-2 pm (Tuesday)

"Over the past decade, organized non-violent resistance movements have been used to overthrow dictators from Serbia through to Georgia, Ukraine, and Egypt. Please join us to hear this distinguished panel of activists, writers, and academic experts as they discuss the advantages and problems confronting movements dedicated to non-violence in their attempts to promote democratic change. Participants include: Srdja Popovic, Tina Rosenberg, Kurt Schock, Jack Snyder, and Alfred Stepan. Registration for this event is mandator. To register, please go to: http://calendar.columbia.edu/sundial/webapi/get.php?brand=sipa_sa&id=48840&vt=detail&context=standalone."

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OASIES Presents: Mustafa Shokai (Kazakhstan, 2008)
Dir. Saltybaldy Narymbetov, 703 Hamilton, 7:30 pm (Tuesday)

Satybaldy Narymbetov's Mustafa Shokai is the first historical blockbuster of post-Soviet Kazakhstan. The recent film, Nomad (Kochevniki, Sergei Bodrov et al, 2005) could offer a kind of rival, but history is the focus of Mustafa Shokai rather than a frame for the action genre as in Nomad. Mustafa Shokai is designed to educate viewers, particularly Kazakhs, but the reality is that it fails as an informative historical drama, conflating an already complex and contradictory biography.

Mustafa Shokai (1890-1941) was born in Perovsk (now the village Aulie-Tarangyl) in the Turkestan Krai of the Russian Empire. He was not destined to be a peripheral figure; his maternal ancestors were part of a line of Kazakh khans of the Khiva khanate. He was a Turkestani nationalist when there was no longer a Turkestan, and he emerged as a key political actor at a moment of revolutionary transformation. He served at various times as a member of the Shura-i-Islamiya (Muslim Council), as the leader of the Provisional Government of Autonomous Turkestan (or Kokand Autonomy movement), and as a delegate to the First All-Kirgiz Congress in Orenburg where they created the first Kazakh political party, Alash Orda. Yet he ultimately lost touch with the political realities of Central Asia that centered on compromises between religious elites and Bolshevik officials and he left the Soviet Union for Europe. (Kinokul'tura) [144 mins, in Kazakh with English subtitles]

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SCREENING of Bijelo Dugme (White Button), Altschul Auditorium, 4th floor SIPA, 7:00 pm (Thursday)

Bijelo Dugme was a legendary rock and roll band of the former Yugoslavia that is still enormously popular. The leader of the band was Goran Bregovic--today a globally acclaimed composer of film scores and world music. This documentary, full of exciting archival footage, great music and juicy confessions, deals with the specific time, culture, friendship and politics of the band, as well as the effect that Western popular culture had on the youth in this vibrant socialist country before it disintegrated.

The director, Igor Stoimenov, will be present to discuss the film.

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CONFERENCE: "Healing Paradigms and the Politics of Health in Central Asia," Kellogg Center, 15th floor SIPA, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Friday)

Panel I: Healing Paradigms: Biomedicine and Its Ethno-Religious Alternatives
Panel II:
The Politics of (Global) Health: Intervention, Control, and Institutional Power

Participants include: Salmaan Keshavjee (Harvard University),
Devin DeWeese (Indiana University),
Danuta Penkala-Gawecka (Adam Mickiewicz University),
Jeff Sahadeo (Carleton University),
Alisher Latypov (University College London),
Erica Johnson (University of North Carolina),
Erin Koch (University of Kentucky).

Breakfast, lunch, and a cheese & wine reception will be provided. PLEASE RSVP: https://calendar.columbia.edu/sundial/webapi/register.php?eventID=48012

Columbia Global Centers, the Harriman Institute, and the Columbia University Seminar on Slavic History & Culture generously provided support for this conference.

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CONFERENCE: "Places and Perceptions: Space and Identity in Inner Eurasia," 1512 SIPA, 3-7 pm (Saturday)

Panel I: Textual Encounters Across Eurasia
Panel II: Place-making in Eurasia
Reception with Central Asian food provided.

Summer Reading, Perhaps?

2011-03-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

The SEELANGS (Slavic and Eastern European Languages and Literature List) listserv connected us with these fascinating books on Russian Criminal Tattoos.

Product Description from Amazon.com:

"Occasionally a book is published that reveals a subculture you never dreamt existed. More rarely, that book goes on to become a phenomenon of its own. The 2004 publication of the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia was such a phenomenon, spawning two further volumes and alerting a fascinated readership worldwide to the extraordinary and hermetic world of Russian criminal tattoos (David Cronenberg, for example, made regular use of the Encyclopaedia during the making of his 2007 movie Eastern Promises). Now, Fuel has reprinted volume one of this bestselling series, whose first edition already fetches considerable sums online. The photographs, drawings and texts published in this book are part of a collection of more than 3,000 tattoos accumulated over a lifetime by a prison attendant named Danzig Baldaev. Tattoos were his gateway into a secret world in which he acted as ethnographer, recording the rituals of a closed society. The icons and tribal languages he documented are artful, distasteful, sexually explicit and sometimes just strange, reflecting as they do the lives and traditions of Russian convicts. Skulls, swastikas, harems of naked women, a smiling Al Capone, medieval knights in armor, daggers sheathed in blood, benign images of Christ, sweet-faced mothers and their babies, armies of tanks and a horned Lenin: these are the signs by which the people of this hidden world mark and identify themselves. With a foreword by Danzig Baldaev, and an introduction by Alexei Plutser-Sarno, exploring the symbolism of the Russian criminal tattoo."

Events This Week

2011-03-29T11:05:00.001-07:00

CONFERENCE: Nonconformism and Dissent in the Soviet Bloc: Guiding Legacy or Passing Memory? 1501 SIPA, (Wednesday-Friday)

The conference will focus on political and cultural nonconformism in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland in the 1960s to 80s. It will bring together an international assemblage of scholars studying that period of time as well several noteworthy dissidents and artists. The conference will offer a historical overview of the period and will present the latest research conducted on the subject. Additionally, the conference will provide an analysis of the political and cultural legacies of these movements in today’s Ukraine, Russia, and Poland.

The conference will examine these issues through a series of scholarly panels as well as roundtable discussions featuring prominent Soviet-era dissidents and nonconformist artists. The three-day conference will begin with an evening keynote address by Dr. Myroslav Marynovych, former Ukrainian dissident and prisoner of conscience and, currently, Vice-rector for the University Mission of the Ukrainian Catholic University (L'viv, Ukraine); the address will be followed by a reception. Days two and three will include panels and roundtables followed by cultural programming in the evenings showcasing achievements in nonconformist film, music and literature of this era. The conference will conclude with a special North American concert by Victor Morozov, a legendary nonconformist cultural figure in Soviet Ukraine and a major recording artist in Ukraine today, at the Ukrainian Museum (222 East 6th Street).

Participants: Myroslav Marynovych, Pavel Litvinov, Henryk Wujec, Vitaly Komar, Ewa Wójciak, Volodymyr Dibrova, Mykola Riabchuk, Peter Reddaway, Ann Komaromi, Benjamin Nathans, Alexander Motyl, Justyna Beinek, Ksenya Kiebuzinski, Michael Bernhard, Jeri Laber, Mark Andryczyk, Catharine Nepomnyashchy, Anna Procyk, Christina Isajiw, William Risch, Anna Frajlich-Zajac, Yuri Shevchuk, Timothy Frye, Tarik Amar, Frank Sysyn, and Victor Morozov.

The conference is presented by the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. It is organized in collaboration with the Columbia University East Central European Center, the Polish Cultural Institute–New York, and The Ukrainian Museum.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Mark Andryczyk at 212-854-4697 or at ukrainianstudies@columbia.edu.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM: http://www.harrimaninstitute.org/MEDIA/01946.pdf

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MOVIE: GROMOZEKA (2010), VLADIMIR KOTT, FRIDAY APR 1, 6:00 PM (MOMA), SAT APR 2, 3:45 (FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER)

Q&A WITH DIRECTOR!

The title of writer-director Vladimir Kott’s deft, engrossing follow-up to The Fly (ND/NF 2009) comes from the name of the band in which the film’s protagonists played during their high-school days—briefly glimpsed in the film’s opening shots. Today, these three middle-aged men—a surgeon, police officer, and taxi driver—inhabit distinct levels of Moscow’s socio-economic structure. Aside from their annual reunions, their lives intersect only glancingly and unknowingly.

Kott follows their respective personal discontent and professional troubles as they reach a crisis point, and presents the contrasting ways in which each of the characters tries to cope—and the unpredictable outcomes. The three interwoven narratives provide a compelling and very human portrait of the moral dilemmas of modern life and reveal an urban experience that defies some of the bleaker visions of life in 21st-century Russia.

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MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part I (Sergei Eisenstein, 1944) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 PM (Thursday)

"The Soviet master’s phantasmagoric magnum opus follows the newly crowned Tsar through marriage, Tartar wars, near death, and triumphant resurgence. Score by Sergei Prokofiev."

MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part II (Sergei Eisenstein, 1958) FSLC, 3:00 PM (Thursday)

"Disapproved of by Stalin, the second part of Eisenstein’s feverishly expressive final masterpiece turns to Russian court intrigues as Boyars attempt to unseat Ivan."

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Russian Dinner and Conversation by Harriman Undergraduate Initiative, SIPA 1219, 7:00 PM (Thursday)

"Appetizers will be blini and caviar, pirogki, and assorted salads. Entrees will be kotlety, stuffed cabbage, and potatoes. We will have dark Ukrainian and Lithuanian bread as well as kvas to drink. It is sure to be a great time. As usual, we encourage discussion in Russian but all are welcome. Best of all, it is completely free. Invite your friends and see you Thursday!

Check out the Facebook page here to rsvp or invite more people."

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EXHIBIT: Georgians in American History: A Photo Narrative, Harriman Institute Atrium, 12th Floor IAB, 420 West 118th Street, NYC (Friday-Saturday)

This exhibition is the culmination of a decade of research by film director Irakli Makahradzeintended to uncover the role played by Georgians in shaping American history. Photographs will introduce viewers to a series of little-known individuals whose contributions to American history date as far back as the Civil War. The project will trace a genealogy of significant Georgian-American biographies to the present day.

The entire collection of photos and materials will be made available in the form of printed catalogues. This exhibit is co-organized by the Georgian Democratic and Political Club.

Nonconformism & Dissent in the Soviet Bloc

2011-03-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Ukrainian Studies Program, Harriman Institute at Columbia University, is presenting a conference entitled "Nonconformism and Dissent in the Soviet Bloc: Guiding Legacy or Passing Memory?" to be held at Columbia University March 30th - April 1st, 2011. The conference is being presented twenty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, a time of continued uncertainty in Eastern Europe.

Among the questions the conference aims to address are: Where are the dissidents and cultural leaders of the Soviet era underground today? Are they in positions of power? Are they influential political figures or gurus in contemporary culture? Do they represent their people in the world as they once did? What media forums are available for their voices? Do Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and the world need them today?

The conference will examine these issues through a series of scholarly panels as well as roundtable discussions featuring prominent Soviet-era dissidents and nonconformist artists. The three-day conference will begin with an evening keynote address by Dr. Myroslav Marynovych, former Ukrainian dissident and prisoner of conscience and, currently, Vice-rector for the University Mission of the Ukrainian Catholic University (L'viv, Ukraine); the address will be followed by a reception. Days two and three will include panels and roundtables followed by cultural programming in the evenings showcasing achievements in nonconformist film, music and literature of this era.

"Nonconformism and Dissent in the Soviet Bloc: Guiding Legacy or Passing Memory?" will feature presentations by over twenty individuals: Myroslav Marynovych, Pavel Litvinov, Henryk Wujec, Vitaly Komar, Ewa Wójciak, Volodymyr Dibrova, Mykola Riabchuk, Peter Reddaway, Ann Komaromi, Benjamin Nathans, Alexander Motyl, Justyna Beinek, Ksenya Kiebuzinski, Michael Bernhard, Jeri Laber, Mark Andryczyk, Catharine Nepomnyashchy, Anna Procyk, Christina Isajiw, William Risch, Anna Frajlich-Zajac, Yuri Shevchuk, Timothy Frye, Tarik Amar, Frank Sysyn, and Victor Morozov.

The Conference will conclude with a special North American concert by Victor Morozov, a legendary nonconformist cultural figure in Soviet Ukraine and a major recording artist in Ukraine today.

The conference is free and open to the public.

All conference panels and roundtables, as well as the keynote address, will be held in Rm. #1501, International Affairs Building, 420 West 118^th St., Columbia University, New York, New York 10027. The keynote address and reception will take place on March 30th at 7PM. The panels and roundtables will begin at 9:30AM on March 31^st and at 10AM on April 1^st.

The film presentation will be held on March 31^st at 8PM in Rm. 717 Hamilton Hall.

The Victor Morozov concert will be held on April 1^st at 8PM at the Ukrainian Museum, 222 East 6^th Street, New York, NY 10003.

The conference coincides with an exhibit of works by artist-dissident Opanas Zalyvakha and a display of literature and documentary materials of the shistdesiatnyky at The Ukrainian Museum. See www.ukrainianmuseum.org for more information.

The conference is presented by the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University.

It is organized in collaboration with the East Central European Center (Columbia University), the Polish Cultural Institute (New York), and The Ukrainian Museum.

For more information please contact Mark Andryczyk at 212-854-4697 or at ukrainianstudies@columbia.edu.

Gender, Hierarchy, and Representation in Kyiv's Cathedral of the Holy Sophia

2011-03-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Music at the Ukrainian Institute

2011-03-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

An Invisible Rope: Portraits of Czesław Miłosz

2011-03-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Democracy, Violence and Authoritarianism in Post-Communist Romania: A Reassessment

2011-03-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York and the Institute for Investigation of the Communist Crimes and for the Memory of the Romanian Exile in Bucharest (IICCMRC) present on April 8, in RCINY's Gallery, a special event in conjunction with “Civic Resistance and State Violence” - a memorial photo exhibition about the violent transition from dictatorship to democracy in post-communist Romania. The exhibition brings together personal testimonies of the witnesses and photographs about the violence brought against the civilians during the miners coming to Bucharest in June 13-15, 1990.

The critical assessment, 20 years after, of this violence, illustrated by some of the exhibition photographs, will be the starting point for a comparison with the violence against civilians that has been inflicted in Egypt, other North African countries and the Middle East as a result of civil upheavals in 2011.

The panel will be chaired by Vladimir Tismăneanu (professor of politics and Director of the Center for the Study of Post-communist Societies at University of Maryland - College Park), and will bring together Cătălin Avramescu (Ph.D. Professor at the University of Bucharest), Grigore Pop-Eleches (Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University). Moderator: Mihai Neamţu (Scientific Director, IICCMRC, and exhibition co-curator). READ MORE

FRI, April 8, 7 pm
RCINY - The Gallery [Carturesti Book Exhibition]
573-577 3rd Avenue (at 38th Street), New York, NY 10016
FREE ADMISSION

The Desert of Forbidden Art!

2011-03-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

“Crimson Autumn” (1931), by Ural Tansykbaev, at the Nukus Museum in Uzbekistan.

Award winning Russian Art documentary, The Desert of Forbidden Art, will be playing at the Cinema Village, on 22 East 12th Street, March 11-18 and the filmmakers will be having a Q&A after every screening on the weekend of March 11th.

The Desert of Forbidden Art tells the incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars was stashed in a far-off desert of Uzbekistan, and develops into a larger exploration of how art survives in times of oppression. A fascinating documentary about a group of visionary artists and one man who risked his life to rescue their work.

The Desert of Forbidden Art has already sold out screenings at the National Gallery, MFA Boston, and MOMA Fortnight, just to name a few. The film has just been listed as a critics pick by New York Magazine. Visit www.desertofforbiddenart.com/ for the trailer and screening times as well at Cinema Village website http://www.cinemavillage.com/chc/cv/default.asp.

Check out more information from the New York Times!

Events This Week

2011-03-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

CONFERENCE: Nonconformism and Dissent in the Soviet Bloc: Guiding Legacy or Passing Memory? 1501 SIPA, (Wednesday-Friday)

CONFERENCE PROGRAM: http://www.harrimaninstitute.org/MEDIA/01946.pdf

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MOVIE: GROMOZEKA (2010), VLADIMIR KOTT, Friday Apr 1, 6:00 PM (Moma), sat apr 2, 3:45 (Film society of lincoln center)

Q&A WITH DIRECTOR!

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MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part I (Sergei Eisenstein, 1944) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 PM (Thursday)

"The Soviet master’s phantasmagoric magnum opus follows the newly crowned Tsar through marriage, Tartar wars, near death, and triumphant resurgence. Score by Sergei Prokofiev."

MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part II (Sergei Eisenstein, 1958) FSLC, 3:00 PM (Thursday)

"Disapproved of by Stalin, the second part of Eisenstein’s feverishly expressive final masterpiece turns to Russian court intrigues as Boyars attempt to unseat Ivan."

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Russian Discussion Hour by Harriman Undergraduate Initiative, Hungarian Pastry Shop, 7:00 PM (Thursday)

"We would like to invite you to a Russian discussion hour this Thursday, February 17th, at 7:00 pm at the Hungarian Pastry Shop! Everyone with an interest in the Russian language is invited and the Harriman Undergraduate Initiative will provide coffee and snacks.

The Hungarian Pastry Shop is located at 111th and Amsterdam. Tell all of your friends and we look forward to seeing you Thursday night!"

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EXHIBIT: Georgians in American History: A Photo Narrative, Harriman Institute Atrium, 12th Floor IAB, 420 West 118th Street, NYC (Friday-Saturday)

This exhibition is the culmination of a decade of research by film director Irakli Makahradze intended to uncover the role played by Georgians in shaping American history. Photographs will introduce viewers to a series of little-known individuals whose contributions to American history date as far back as the Civil War. The project will trace a genealogy of significant Georgian-American biographies to the present day.

The entire collection of photos and materials will be made available in the form of printed catalogues. This exhibit is co-organized by the Georgian Democratic and Political Club.

Events This Week

2011-03-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

"Soviet Communal Living: An Oral History of the Kommunalka," 1219 SIPA, 12:15 pm (Tuesday)

Please join the Harriman Institute and the Slavic Department to mark the publication of Paola Messana’s new book Soviet Communal Living: An Oral History of the Kommunalka (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).

Soviet Communal Living: An Oral History of the Kommunalka brings together fascinating testimonies from thirty inhabitants of the “Kommunalka,” the communal apartments that were a common feature of Russian cities during the Soviet era. Beginning in 1920, multiple Russian families—purposefully selected from different social classes—were relocated and crammed together into single apartments. The intent was not simply to level out class differences, but also to create spy networks within homes and extend the government’s surveillance and control over citizens. Possibly the most important social experiment undertaken by the Soviet regime, the Kommunalka arguably had as much as if not more of an effect on the experiences of inhabitants than external political realities. Soviet Communal Livingoffers a fascinating glimpse into the circumstances that defined daily life for millions of citizens during the seven decades of communist rule—and, in some cases, long after.

Paola Messana is the New York Bureau Chief of Agence France-Presse, and the agency’s former Moscow Bureau Chief. She holds degrees in Russian from the Sorbonne and Political Science from the Paris Institute of Political Studies.

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"Lyric Poetry and Modern Politics: Russia, Poland, and the West," NYU, 5:30 pm (Wednesday)

A lecture by Clare Cavanagh on Milosz, Szymborska, Akhmatova, and Mandelstam.

20 Cooper Square
7th Floor
New York, NY 10003

Tickets: Free and open to the public
Telephone: 212.998.2190

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Nevrus (Noruz, etc.) Celebration @ DROM, 8:00 pm (Doors at 7:00 pm) (Wednesday)

Amir Vahab and his Ensemble will perform songs selected from the poetry of the great Sufi Masters Rumi, Hafez, Yunus Emre as well as folkloric songs from different parts of Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan. The lively folk and traditional music featuring the etherial sounding Ney (mystical reed flute), Oud/Ud (the short neck lute), Tanbur (ancient three-stringed long-necked lute), Saz (seven-stringed long neck lute), Daf/Def (large frame drum associated with Sufi rituals), Dohol/Davul (Double-headed folk drum used most often in celebrations) and Tombak (Persian goblet drum). The concert concludes with a dynamic drumming performance that echoes the universal heartbeat of existence. The New York Times calls him the "ambassador for a silenced music."
Amir Alan Vahab is one of New York’s most celebrated and distinguished composer / vocalists of sufi and folk music. He sings in nine different languages with a unique mystical style. The virtuosos of Amir weave fiery instrumentals and songs of the Ancient land of the Middle East that include Persian, Turkish, Azeri and beyond. As an instrumentalist, he plays and teaches the tar, setar, tanbour, saz, oud, ney, daf and zarb.

Kazakh ethno-rock band "Ulytau" was formed in 2001 with the aim to highlight and convey to the audience the beauty of folk songs, to promote among youth the art of playing the dombra and present the world the greatness of the Kazakh national heritage. The word "Ulytau" in Kazakh language means "Great Mountain". Group Ulytau "- a real breakthrough in the world and home of contemporary instrumental music that the band with such enthusiasm and drive, perform the works of the greatest composers, such as: Kurmangazy Dauletkerey, Tattimbet, N. Tlendiev, Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini. The guys from "Ulytau" is equally passionate about how to find cover versions of classics and the works of Kazakh classics in their own interpretation of the rich - very compacted in sound and dramatically associate opus. They hear the gusts of wind of the steppe, mnitsya smell of sun-scorched grass, seen proud gait graceful thoroughbreds, the strict gaze of elders, mesmerizing mystery ceremonial rituals ... Call it art, and "World Music". By the way, virtuoso electric guitar riffs in "Ulytau" bring to mind similar exercises Ritchie Blackmore, and dynamic and very charismatic rumbling bass - Roger Glover. Musicians with talent inkrustiruyut traditionally bright sounding violins and distinctly focused - Kazakh national instrument dombra a rigid aesthetic of hard rock, blues and ... relaxing New Age.

AND...

Mugam 4lusu from Azerbaijan.

Advance Price: $10; Door Price: $15

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CONFERENCE: Franz Liszt and the Birth of Modern Europe (Thursday-Friday)

This conference is sponsored by Columbia University’s East Central European Center, the Harriman Institute, the European Institute and the Consulate General of the Republic of Hungary. Please RSVP to ece@columbia.edu.

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MOVIE: Outbound (Bogdan George Apetri,
2010) 9:00 pm (Thursday @ MoMa) or 5:30 pm (Saturday @ Film Society of Lincoln Center)

"The march of New Romanian Cinema continues apace in this quietly gripping drama that steadily descends into a dog-eat-dog netherworld in which matter-of-fact exploitation and reflexive avarice are givens. Two years into a five-year prison sentence, Matilda is given a day pass to attend her mother’s funeral. In the 24 hours that follow, the camera tracks this determined and unsentimental woman as she relentlessly pursues her goal of finding the money she needs to skip the country for good. As single-minded as its protagonist, this brisk, hard-edged, and businesslike film bears many of the hallmarks of the new generation of talented Romanian filmmakers. With his first feature, Bogdan George Apetri deservedly joins their ranks."

Click here for more information.

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"Global Models, National Strategies: Higher Education Policy in Russia," 136 Thompson Hall, Teachers College, 525 West 120th St., 2:00pm–5:00pm (Thursday)

Since 2005, the Russian government has pursued ambitious programs to modernize its education system, with particular attention to higher education and internationalization. Russia has introduced a universal state exam, EGE, for college admission; established elite research and federal universities by providing them with additional funding; allowed for private business and research universities to grow, and actively joined the Bologna Process, etc. Has Russia attained its goal? Have these reforms been successful? How will these impact Russia, CEE/CIS, and Europe?

Panelists include: Alexander Karp (Teachers College, Columbia University), Ben Eklof (Indiana University), Harley Balzer (Georgetown University), Mark Johnson (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Iveta Silova (Lehigh University).

This event is co-sponsored by the Harriman Institute and Teachers College. This event is FREE and open to the public.

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MOVIE: Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman,
1965) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 pm (Friday)

Teen romance behind the Iron Curtain turns comic and bittersweet in Forman’s small-town story, involving an awkward party, a pianist, and a lovelorn girl.

Click here for more information.

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"Kandinsky at the Bauhaus, 1922–1933" at the Guggenheim (Info)

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Zlatne Uste Brass Band, Drom, 10:30 pm (Doors at 10:00 pm) (Saturday)

From Kolos to Kusturica, experience the rich sounds of driving Balkan brass. Zlatne Uste (Golden Lips) is an internationally known group of American-born musicians playing traditional music of the Balkans, primarily representing Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Romany (Gypsy) traditions. Four-time invited guest at the Dragachevo Brass Festival in Gucha, Serbia, the 12-piece band is among the foremost presenters of traditional Balkan dance music in the United States. Each year Zlatne Uste hosts and produces the Golden Festival, New York's biggest and best Balkan music festival with an astounding 40 or more bands and something for everyone. (Info)

Advance Price: $10; Door Price: $15

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Russian National Ballet's Romeo & Juliet, Lehman Center, 4:00 pm (Sunday)

The 35-member Russian National Ballet brings one of the greats of Russian classical ballet, Romeo & Juliet scored by Tchaikovsky. The ballet portrays Shakespeare's famous romantic tragedy of young lovers thwarted by a family feud. Artistic Director and founder of the company Elena Radchenko is dedicated to upholding the grand national tradition of Russian ballet, while developing new talent. This performance recreates the original choreography of the legendary Marius Petipa.

With a company of 35 dancers, including a large corps de ballet, the Russian National Ballet Theatre has upheld the grand tradition of major Russian ballet works. The troupe returns to Lehman Center to bring to life the beautiful tale of William Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. This performance is set to the remarkable score by Tchaikovsky.

(Info)

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"In the Mirrors" by the Dialogue Theater, 5:00 pm (Sunday)

ENCORE PERFORMANCE!

Please celebrate with us World Theater Day as the Dialogue Theater presents the encore performance of "In the Mirrors," dedicated to the fascinating Silver Age of Russian poetry. The scene is set in St. Petersburg between 1910-1913 at the legendary "The Stray Dog Cafe." The play celebrates the legacy of Russian poetry and the cultural figures of the Silver Age: A. Akhmatova, N. Gumilev, Kuzmin, O. Mandel’shtam and others. The script is based on excerpts from their widely acclaimed poetry, compilations of rare memoirs, letters, musical improvisations, romances and documentary film clips.

Written and adapted by: Irina Volkovich
Cast: R. Galitch, I. Yesilevskaya, R. Freid, S. Gordeev, N. Romanova
Stage decoration: Kira Melamed, James Caratini
Sound and light: Yuriy Avezov
In Russian.

Read a review of the premiere performance of "In the Mirrors" here.

Tickets: $20, $17 for Shorefront Y members, seniors, students
Shorefront YM-YWHA
3300 Coney Island Ave Brooklyn NY 11235
718-646-1444 ext 326
www.shorefronty.org/arts

Wallach Art Gallery Exhibition

2011-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible

January 19–March 26, 2011

"The past two decades in European history have been marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Europe—monumental events seen by many as symbolically heralding a new social and democratic vision. Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible brings together 19 artists whose work, created in the aftermath of these historic events, considers the relationship of art to democracy and responds in various ways to the conflicts and contradictions of Europe's democratic dream.

Organized by the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida, Project Europa addresses the complex positioning of Europe in the modern world. While the continent embodies the notions of democracy, human rights, peace and diversity, it also reverberates with xenophobia, racism, religious intolerance, and—especially after the fall of the World Trade Center towers—heightened security and the hardening of immigration policies. Project Europa's artists are catalysts for new ways of seeing, thinking about and imagining Europe...

The artists included in the exhibition are Francis Alÿs, Fikret Atay, Kader Attia, Maja Bajević, Yto Barrada, Tacita Dean, Beate Gütschow, Jens Haaning, Susan Hefuna, Eva Leitolf, Aernout Mik, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Perjovschi, Marjetica Potrč, Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, Bruno Serralongue, Superflex and Lidwien Van de Ven."

Click here for more information.

Spring Break Delight!

2011-03-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

FLAS Fellowship Deadline Approaching!!!

2011-03-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Deadline: March 4

FLAS Fellowships can be awarded for the “less commonly taught languages” that are actually taught in the Slavic department. Awards are administered through the East Central Europe Center. Hungarian is also administered through the Center. Awards are usually not made for Russian. Fellowships are normally given for intermediate or advanced level; the Columbia committee that evaluates them does not favor applications for elementary. That is to say, you need to be studying the language already.

Information for undergraduates can be found at http://www.college.columbia.edu/students/fellowships/catalog/foreign-language-area-studies-flas-fellowship, although that site sends students for more information to the graduate site, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/sub/finaid/cstudents/flas/ay.html

(Information provided by Professor Timberlake)

2011-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

TURKSOY

(The International Organization of Turkic Culture)
Presents
A Nevruz Celebration in USA

Over 150 musicians and dancers from 11 different Turkic nations will be uniting for the epic US debut concert series Nevruz. The concert celebrates the New Year holiday Nevruz, observed in most part of Eurasia. The word Nevruz is of Persian origin and is a combination of the words “ nev” (new) and “ruz” (day), meaning new day. According to the old Persian calendar, it is the first day of the year and regarded as the start of spring, when the sun enters the house of Aries. Nevruz, which each society celebrates in forms peculiar to itself, still exists with traditional celebrations throughout Anatolia and Central Asia. The countries and regions represented in Nevruz are: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, The Republic of Turkey,Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and regions of the Russian Federation. This US debut concert will be a colorful display of each region’s unique, traditional customs, costumes, music and dance. Nevruz will stage three performances while in the U.S.: March 24^th at the UN General Assembly, the 26^th at New York City’s Town Hall and the 28^th in Washington D.C. at Lincoln Theater.

*Attending States are:

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Gagauzia (Republic of Moldova), Crimea (Ukraine), Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation), The Republic of Bashkortostan (Russian Federation), The Tuva (Russian Federation), Hakkassia (Russian Federation),

The concert is presented by TURKSOY, The International Organization of Turkic Culture, whose primary focus is to maintain and strengthen the existing common cultural presence of Turkic peoples, living in different countries in Eurasia. TURKSOY seeks to support the common language, history, culture among these people.

Nevruz is produced by New York based Serdar Ilhan Presents. Ilhan has presented Turkish, Mediterranean and World music in the US for 15 years.

RSVP @ www.serdarilhan.com!

Study the mysteries of Silk Road in the Heart of Central Asia!

2011-03-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM - Open for Columbia University students

Hunter College Study Abroad program presents:

THE HISTORY OF SILK ROAD

(In cooperation with Kazakh National University and

the Geographic Society of Central Asia)

This course surveys the history of the Silk Road, focusing on the cultural and economic exchanges and events in Central Asia. The Silk Road had been a link between China and eastern and western Europe for nearly two millennia, as innumerable caravans moved goods, ideas, cultures, traders, explorers, scholars and adventurers across the Eurasian land mass. The readings, excursions and discussions are designed to explore the mysteries of the Silk Road including: Who were the traders and explores? Why did people use this Road? What role did Central Asian nomads and settlers play in this early global trade? What did Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane have in common?

Lecturer:Dr. Rafis Abazov, author of The Cultures and Customs of the Central Asian Republics

Office: W1549, Tue. & Fridays, or by appointment
Title of program: The History of Silk Road (Study abroad program)
City, country: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Site of instruction: Campus of Kazakh National University
Excursions: The ancient city of Turkistan and archeological excavation sites in Almaty province.
Dates of the program: June 03-30, 2011
Courses or disciplines: History
Number of credits: 3 credits
Application deadline: March 25, 2011
Type: Summer program

Web page: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/educationabroad/programs/short-term-programs/summer-2011/kazakhstan

For details and application information check the Education Abroad website
(www.hunter.cuny.edu/educationabroad) at the beginning of Spring semester 2011.

Job Opportunity for Columbia Students!

2011-02-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Harriman Institute is seeking student workers to provide support to staff and faculty of the Institute and assist with event management. Duties include clerical and administrative functions such as filing, faxing, photocopying, running errands, posting flyers, answering phones and other tasks.

Qualifications: Work-study eligible. Knowledge of Microsoft applications as well as the ability to multitask. Pluses include previous office/clerical experience as well as an interest in Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe.

Hours: Students must be able to work between 10 and 20 hours a week.

Our hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM -9:00 PM.

For more information and to apply, please email lch2111@columbia.edu.

Events This Week

2011-02-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

"Odessa: Genius and Death in a City of Dreams," 1219 SIPA, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Tuesday)

Join the Harriman Institute for a talk by Charles King.

Charles King is Professor of International Affairs and Government at Georgetown University. He is the author most recently of Odessa: Genius and Death in a City of Dreams (W.W. Norton, 2011) as well as Extreme Politics: Nationalism, Violence, and the End of Eastern Europe (Oxford University Press, 2010), The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus* (Oxford University Press, 2008), and other books on the history and politics of eastern Europe and Eurasia. In 2010 he completed two terms as Chair of the Faculty of Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.

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"Winning LGBT Equality in Russia," Faculty House, Garden Room 2, 5:30 PM (Tuesday)

Join the Harriman Institute for a talk by Nikolai Alekseev (Head of the Russian LGBT Human Rights Project (GayRussia.Ru) and Head of Moscow Pride Organizing Committee.) Alekseev won a ground breaking human rights decision against the mayor of Moscow at the European Court of Human Rights in October 2010, and will speak about the Russian LGBT movement. Adjunct Assistant Professor Tanya Domi, the School of International and Public Affairs will moderate the discussion.

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Maslenitsa Celebration, Lerner East Ramp Lounge, 7-8 PM (Tuesday, TOMORROW!)

Celebrate the beginning of Spring with RIA and The Birch. We will have bliny, caviar, Lady Maslenitsa/Kostroma doll making (sorry, no effigy burning), and matryoshka doll painting. See you there!

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Farewell Gulsary! (Proshchai, Gul'sary!, Kazakhstan, 2008), 703 Hamilton, 7:20 PM (Tuesday)

Join Kamilya Abilova and the undergraduate branch of OASIES (Organization for the Advancement of Studies of Inner Eurasian Societies) for this exciting movie screening!

Farewell Gulsary! (Proshchai, Gulsary!) by the Kazak director Ardak Amirkulov is a nostalgic film, both in tenor and mode. It is the second rendition of the eponymous short story by the famous Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov about the love of Tanabai, a devout Kazakh communist and a WWII hero, for his beautiful stallion Gulsary, who is a symbol of freedom and idealism, everything the main character stands to lose to the crash collectivization in the Far East in the 1940s and 50s (Kinokul'tura).

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Russian Movie Night: Брат II, 1219 SIPA, 8:30-10:30 PM (Thursday)

Join the Harriman Undergraduate Initiative! "Last time Брат was a huge success, now they come to Brighton Beach for the sequel!"

Events This Week

2011-02-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

"Russia’s Post-Soviet Landscape" 1219 IAB, 12:00pm (Wednesday)

Join the Harriman Institute for a talk by Susan Richards (Author of Lost and Found in Russia). After the fall of communism Susan Richards started chronicling the lives and careers of a group of Russians living far from the capital. She revisited them repeatedly over the course of 16 years, observing the way in which the larger forces unleashed in Russia's politics and economy were being reflected or resisted in their own life decisions, and those of the communities around them. She reflects on what she saw and what it might tell us about the changed nature of Russia today.

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"Illicit Indicators and the Contested Politics of Numbers" 1501 SIPA, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Wednesday)

International policies on issues such as human trafficking, drug smuggling and armed conflict depend upon accurate measures and statistics of these "hidden" problems. Yet, reliable statistics or data regarding these practices are often in short supply, subject to politicization and even deliberate misrepresentation. Exaggerating the numbers of victims of an armed conflict, inflating the value of the transnational drug trade or downplaying patterns of domestic violence are commonplace practices adopted by states and international officials to serve political agendas. This panel on Illicit Numbers, comprised of distinguished scholars and practitioners, will investigate the dangers of using problematic statistics and dubious measures in the formulation and conduct of public policy.

Participants: Peter Andreas (Professor, Department of Political Science, Brown University. Co-Editor of Sex, Drugs and Body Counts: The Politics of Numbers in Global Crime and Conflict (Cornell University Press 2010), Elizabeth Eagen (Program Officer, Human Rights Data Initiative, Human Rights and Governance Grants | Information Program, Open Society Foundations), Sally Merry (Professor of Anthropology and Law and Society, New York University and President-elect of the American Ethnological Society), Lara Nettelfield (Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harriman Institute, Columbia University, and contributor to Sex, Drugs and Body Counts)

This event is part of the “Human Rights in the Post-Communist World: Strategies and Outcomes ” series (Harriman Core Project 2010-2011). This event is free and open to the public. No Tickets, no reservations required. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.

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"Gender Equality and Women’s Rights in Georgia: Opportunities and Challenges" 1219 SIPA, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (Thursday)

Join the Harriman Institute and the Program in Economic and Political Development (EPD) for a talk by Rusudan Kervalishvili, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Chair of Gender Council

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"Imagining Mazeppa: From Byron to Broadway to Hollywood" 1219 SIPA, 7:00 PM (Thursday)

Mazeppa as a Tatar prince? As an American Indian maiden? Sophia Loren as Mazeppa? Mazeppa on Bonanza? Alexander Motyl, Catharine Nepomnyashchy, Vasyl Lopukh, and Vasyl Makhno take you on a romp through unusual historical representations of the famed Ukrainian Hetman-from the Romantics to 19th-century American and British theatre and dime novels to 20th-century Hollywood Westerns and Broadway musicals. The evening will consist of readings, music, slides, and film. If you think you know Ivan Mazepa-think again.

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Brestskaya Krepost' (Brest Fortress) Hamilton 717, 8:00 PM (Thursday)

Join RIA and watch this movie in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day. The holiday celebrates people who are serving or were serving in the Russian Armed Forces (both men and women), but nationally it has also more recently come to include the celebration of men as a whole, and to act as a counterpart of International Women's Day on March 8. Brestskaya Krepost' is a war drama set during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, in which Russian troops held on to a border stronghold for nine days. Here is the link for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B11CLxzhqPg (133 minutes long). There will be English subtitles!!

The Birch

Slavic Summer Sampling

Our Spring Russian Poetry Night!

Images from OASIES's Spring Conference!

An Interview with Wyatt Ford (CC’09), Deputy Editor of The Kazan Herald

"20 Most Important Russian Reads": What do YOU think about this list?

Tunes from Russia and Beyond this Week!

Reminder: PEN World Voices, Russian Events

Kazakh Artist, Almagul Menlibayeva's Exhibit in Chelsea, Showing Until May 14th

A Birch Event!

Poetry, Music, and Wine! This Tuesday!

Events This Week (4/24)

Movie Screening Tonight!!!

TODAY Careers in Human Rights: A Panel Discussion

Don't Miss BIJELO DUGME Tonight!

Language in the USSR

Events This Week

Summer Reading, Perhaps?

Events This Week

MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part I (Sergei Eisenstein, 1944) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 PM (Thursday)

Nonconformism & Dissent in the Soviet Bloc

Gender, Hierarchy, and Representation in Kyiv's Cathedral of the Holy Sophia

Music at the Ukrainian Institute

An Invisible Rope: Portraits of Czesław Miłosz

Democracy, Violence and Authoritarianism in Post-Communist Romania: A Reassessment

The Desert of Forbidden Art!

Events This Week

MOVIE: Ivan the Terrible Part I (Sergei Eisenstein, 1944) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 PM (Thursday)

Events This Week

MOVIE: Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman, 1965) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 pm (Friday)

Milos Forman,

Milos Forman,

1965) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 pm (Friday)

Wallach Art Gallery Exhibition

Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible

January 19–March 26, 2011

Spring Break Delight!

FLAS Fellowship Deadline Approaching!!!

Study the mysteries of Silk Road in the Heart of Central Asia!

Job Opportunity for Columbia Students!

Events This Week

Events This Week

MOVIE: Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman,
1965) Film Society of Lincoln Center, 1:00 pm (Friday)