The study abroad application deadline is March 1. Students who wish to study in Spain, France, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Scotland or Oxford during fall semester 2011 should request an application by February 15th. For further information, students can email me at nleonard@stetson.edu or come by the Center for International Education, behind Student Health Services.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Unit 6 Post: Russian Boy Band
http://www.fabrikazvezd.ru/index.php?mod=faces&memid=korni&fz=1
On of the most famous boy bands in Russia is Korni. Korni won Russia's first Star Factory series in 2002 and since then, there fame has not faded. This group has sold more albums than NSync and 98 degrees.
Russian NGOs: Fighting Inequality
While researching NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) in Russia, I came across some very interesting information. The basic gist of an NGO is that it is dedicated to a certain issue area and is typically funded in equal parts by foreign donations and communities within Russia. There are currently over 240,000 NGOs in Russia that support issues in culture (museums and author rights), education (student international exchanges), environment (World Wildlife Foundation and various conservation groups), gay rights, health, women (targeted towards domestic violence issues), the media (rights for journalists and radio broadcasters), and other organizations that aid an array of issues: financial and economic problems, global affairs, and most centered on research.
However, the most controversial category for NGOs is the Human Rights section. In the North-Caucasus region of Russia, there is much unrest over human rights affairs. In January 2009, a well-known human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova were murdered. In the summer of 2009, 3 local civic activists were abducted and killed. And finally in July, a human rights defender, Natalya Estemirova was abducted and killed; she worked mainly with Chechen cases. This is only a small fraction of those who have lost their lives due to the fight for equality and justice. While there continues to be unrest among these areas, other NGOs function as normal (mainly in the northwest of Russia). They serve thousands of people across the nation and provide support for many searching for justice.
However, the most controversial category for NGOs is the Human Rights section. In the North-Caucasus region of Russia, there is much unrest over human rights affairs. In January 2009, a well-known human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova were murdered. In the summer of 2009, 3 local civic activists were abducted and killed. And finally in July, a human rights defender, Natalya Estemirova was abducted and killed; she worked mainly with Chechen cases. This is only a small fraction of those who have lost their lives due to the fight for equality and justice. While there continues to be unrest among these areas, other NGOs function as normal (mainly in the northwest of Russia). They serve thousands of people across the nation and provide support for many searching for justice.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Yaroslav the Wise
My Russian History class briefly touched upon this figure, so I decided to learn a bit more about him through this blog post.
Born to the Grand Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus, Yaroslav the Wise was originally sent to rule a northern province near Rostov. In 1010, at the age of thirty-two, he was transferred to Novgorod, despite the fact that his relationship with his father was steadily declining. Four years later, he refused to pay tribute to Vladimir at Kiev, but, before events escalated any further, the Grand Prince died.
Soon afterwards, the oldest of Vladimir's twelve sons, Svyatopolk, claimed the throne and subsequently ordered the deaths of his two youngest brothers, Boris and Gleb. Yaroslav took it upon himself to avenge the deaths of his brothers and, with the help of Novgorod, defeated Svyatopolk and forced him to flee to Poland.
However, in 1018, Svyatopolk returned with Polish troops and conquered Kiev. Yaroslav led troops against his brother and, once more, he fled to the West.
Despite his defense of the realm, though, Yaroslav was attacked by another sibling, Mstislav, and the two ruled the divided lands of Rus for some twelve years. After Mstislav died, Yaroslav recovered these lands and ruled them for the remainder of his life.
During his reign, Yaroslav created a predecessor to the oldest Russian code of laws (titled Yaroslav's Justice), in addition to serving as a patron of the arts and attempting to expanding the borders of Kievan Rus. He promoted the spread of Christianity, partially by supporting translations of religious books from the Byzantine Empire into Old Russian, and also by establishing schools for the children of priests in Novgorod. At the same time, Kiev became a major center of commerce and an administrative center of the surrounding region.
As a quick side note: Some historians believe that Yaroslav was the brother who called for the deaths of Boris and Gleb. A Norse saga mentions Varangian warriors who were hired by Yaroslav the Wise to kill Burizleif, his brother; others, however, consider Burizleif a misinterpretation of Boleslaw (who was a Polish ruler allied to Svyatopolk).
Recording (with Collin Dougher):
Born to the Grand Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus, Yaroslav the Wise was originally sent to rule a northern province near Rostov. In 1010, at the age of thirty-two, he was transferred to Novgorod, despite the fact that his relationship with his father was steadily declining. Four years later, he refused to pay tribute to Vladimir at Kiev, but, before events escalated any further, the Grand Prince died.
Soon afterwards, the oldest of Vladimir's twelve sons, Svyatopolk, claimed the throne and subsequently ordered the deaths of his two youngest brothers, Boris and Gleb. Yaroslav took it upon himself to avenge the deaths of his brothers and, with the help of Novgorod, defeated Svyatopolk and forced him to flee to Poland.
However, in 1018, Svyatopolk returned with Polish troops and conquered Kiev. Yaroslav led troops against his brother and, once more, he fled to the West.
Despite his defense of the realm, though, Yaroslav was attacked by another sibling, Mstislav, and the two ruled the divided lands of Rus for some twelve years. After Mstislav died, Yaroslav recovered these lands and ruled them for the remainder of his life.
During his reign, Yaroslav created a predecessor to the oldest Russian code of laws (titled Yaroslav's Justice), in addition to serving as a patron of the arts and attempting to expanding the borders of Kievan Rus. He promoted the spread of Christianity, partially by supporting translations of religious books from the Byzantine Empire into Old Russian, and also by establishing schools for the children of priests in Novgorod. At the same time, Kiev became a major center of commerce and an administrative center of the surrounding region.
As a quick side note: Some historians believe that Yaroslav was the brother who called for the deaths of Boris and Gleb. A Norse saga mentions Varangian warriors who were hired by Yaroslav the Wise to kill Burizleif, his brother; others, however, consider Burizleif a misinterpretation of Boleslaw (who was a Polish ruler allied to Svyatopolk).
Recording (with Collin Dougher):
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tutoring at the Russian Studies Center
Tutoring Schedule for Spring 2012
Megan Duffy is available for help with Russian assignments and general tutoring at the Russian Studies Center
Mondays 2-5
Wednesdays 2-4:30
Fridays 11-1:30
Additional hours available by request.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
One man who's been beaten is worth two who have not...
Putin is making headlines for a Russian proverb he quoted after closing a deal with BP to allow them access to 48000 square miles of Arctic waters. (That's larger than the state of Tennessee, by the way): One man who's been beaten is worth two who have not. За одного битого двух небитых дают. The proverb means that an experienced person is worth two novices.
Telling remark, isn't it?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Russian Word of the Day Blog
I found a great blog site which was unknown to me but I believe Dr. Denner has seen it before. Like the title states it is a "Russian Word of the Day" blog, however form what I can see a nice summary of what the word means as well as some charts showing the various forms seems to be an indispensable tool.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
To Russia in 2018!
So, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about the results of the location decisions for the FIFA World Cup in футбол. Here's some more info on it and its other sporty activities :)
Taken form the BBC News Website:
The impact of winning the bid was illustrated in the headline "Russia, live with the World" which appeared in one of the main Russian newspapers.
And analysts suggest that the World Cup will improve the institutions of civil society and the well-being of the nation.
Government support was a key factor in securing the tournament for Russia and the country will be a focus for major sporting events in the next eight years.
Apart from the Winter Olympics and Kazan Universiade, there will be a first Formula One grand prix in Russia in 2014, the World Athletics Championships in 2013 and, more than likely, the ice hockey World Championship in 2016.
Also, my recordings are with David Kincaid's post.
Modern Russian Music Unit: 5
When people think of Russian music the first thing to come to their head is classical music written by famous Russian composers in the 19th and 20th centuries. They think of violins, brass instruments, and winds. However, the music scene in Russia has changed drastically in the 21st century. Russian music culture actually closely mirrors Western cultures like the US.
A very popular movement in Russia is pop music. This modern phenomenon has exploded across the country. There are entire T.V shows dedicated to it like MTV Russia or Muz TV. There has even been a Russian pop group, t.A.T.u, to break through the charts of Russia and gain Western recognition. Due to the group's success, many other groups have popped up around the country and are gaining recognition. However, in the pop industry, there are a handful of producers that control most of the market. This system hasn't changed much since the Soviet Union.
Rock is also a popular movement in Russia. Like Western cultures, Russian rock ranges from punk and alternative to heavy metal and grunge. The progressive message that heavy metal bands convey in Russia has gained considerable popularity and has gathered a significant following. The youth mostly listen to pop and alternative much like many Western cultures. There is actually a music festival in Russia that brings in a crowd of roughly 100,000 each year. It is dubbed the Russian Woodstock because of the rock culture and the massive attendance.
Russia also has other, less dominant genres of music such as folk rock, trip rock, and even reggie and hip hop. However, they have one movement that is foreign to Western culture. This movement is labeled Russian chanson. It consists of the underground crime community and it mixes criminal songs, bard, and romance stories. The main constituency of this genre is lower-class adult males.
Although Russia may not be as up with the times as most Western pop cultures, they are breaking the stigma of stoic classical music. Russia has a huge and rapidly growing modern music culture and I believe that they will be competitive with the rest of the world within the next few years. I find it interesting that even with the new music movement, Russia still has their historic culture of ballet and classical, romantic culture. Their ability to have these two cultures coexist is a rarity in the world today. If they keep this up they could very well be a powerhouse of musical entertainment
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