Russian Studies at Macalester

At this year’s Russian Studies Conference, organized around the theme of the spectacle in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, students and faculty from Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester joined together to share insights and discoveries. The substantive presentations were followed by lively discussions. We loved the energy and intellectual curiosity that the participants brought to Markim Hall. It was delightful to see the students connect with one another during the breaks between panels and at the reception at the Russian House afterward. Professor Emeritus Jim von Geldern gave a fascinating keynote lecture, “A Tale of Crimea, Kyiv, and Two Vladimirs,” that brought together visual culture, performance, archeology, religion, and geopolitics, and showed how and why history matters.

The organizers of the conference—Professors Masha Fedorova and Julia Chadaga—are extraordinarily grateful to all of the people who helped make our event a success: the amazing panelists, attendees who asked great questions during the discussion, and everyone who came out to support our speakers. Special thanks to Josh Colbert, Martha Davis, Anna Moan, Spencer Mullen, Mikhas Shatsila, Liv Whitmore, and Jim von Geldern.

Congratulations to Liv Whitmore '26, who has received the prestigious Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) Fellowship! Liv, a History and Russian Studies major, will be teaching English in Latvia in 2026-27. We are so proud of you, Liv, and your students will be truly fortunate to learn from you!
More details at this link:

Five Scots Receive 2026 Fulbright Awards - News These students join a long tradition at Macalester, which is consistently ranked a top producer of Fulbright recipients.

Sharing the inspiration from our time with guest artist Lana Kartak as our students created their own куклы-мотанки, traditional Slavic dolls rich with symbolism and intention. 🧵
Each piece reflects not only artistry, but also a deeper connection to culture, history, and personal meaning. It was powerful to see students engage so thoughtfully with this tradition and bring their own stories into the work.

The first Minnesota Undergraduate Olympiada of Spoken Russian is in the books. Thanks to Ben, Liv, and Teagan for preparing hard and representing Macalester! Congratulations to Liv Whitmore ‘26 for taking the first place in the Advanced Russian category! 🤩🥳 It was an amazing experience of meeting and hanging out with like-minded students and faculty! We’re looking forward to next year!

Our friends from East-West Connections are tirelessly working to bring us programming about diplomacy in all its forms, including contacts between ordinary people, as highlighted in their upcoming webinar on April 16 at 7 pm CST, "Citizen Diplomacy and the Cold War," inspired by two current exhibitions at the Museum of Russian Art (TMORA). See below for more information, and register at this link:
link:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NXkxFKehT1y46I90GSFzeA

Additional info:

The webinar will feature two unique and linked exhibits currently at TMORA:

Frenemy Moments: Soviet-American Conversations in Cold War Photographs — on display until April 26th, 2026
Spies and Space: Cold War Artifacts from Both Sides of the Iron Curtain — until May 10, 2026

Webinar Focus and Purpose

Our discussion will focus on the personal connections made between Americans and Russians during the Cold War.

Our Panelists

Each panelist personally experienced Cold War exchanges and has worked to build bridges between the United States and Russia:

Dr. Maria Zavialova, Curator and Head of Collections and Exhibitions at TMORA
Margo Squire, International Affairs Consultant, Retired Foreign Services Speaker, US Department of State

Panelist Profiles

Maria Zavialova, originally from St. Petersburg, holds a doctorate in Comparative Cultural Studies from the University of Minnesota. Alongside her curatorial role, Dr. Zavialova contributes to art catalogues and academic works. She has won awards for translating African American women's literature into Russian, co-directs the folk performance group Nitka, and is a board member of the American Siberian Educational Foundation.

Margo Squire worked as a diplomat for 30 years with the US Department of State, serving in cities including Munich, Moscow, Melbourne, Baku, Ankara, and Washington. Notable moments in her career were working in the US Embassy Moscow's press section during the 1980s perestroika and glasnost era and managing democracy-building programs in post-Soviet countries—programs that included citizen exchanges.

A heartwarming celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, took place at the Russian House. We ate delicious homemade plov, samsa, and Persian almond cookies, expressed our creativity by painting eggs, and learned about Nowruz traditions in Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan. A special thank you to Shona Jalilova, Masha Fedorova, Nicholas Seay, Pardis Roham, Fatima Wakili, and Mikhas Shatsila. We hope to celebrate Nowruz at the Russian House every year!

Learn about the history of American-Russian relations at the upcoming webinar from East-West Connections, to be held on March 31, at 7 pm (CST). The link to register is below.

The Journal of Russian American Studies (JRAS) is a peer-reviewed journal focused on the history of Russian American studies from the 18th to the 21st centuries. It is a forum for the latest scholarship regarding the history of the intricate relationship between Russia (broadly defined) and the United States.

East-West Connections and its cosponsors are honored to welcome two senior members of the JRAS editorial staff for this discussion:

David Foglesong, Professor of History for Rutgers University
Professor Foglesong is a co-author with Professors Ivan Kurilla and Victoria Zhuravieva of Distant Friends and Intimate Enemies: a History of American-Russian Relations (Cambridge 2025). His current research centers on how US and Soviet citizen diplomats contributed to the overcoming of enmity between their nations in the 1980s.

Ivan Kurilla, Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University
Professor Kurilla is a historian of US-Russia relations, national identity, and the political uses of history. He previously taught at the European University at St. Petersburg and has held appointments at Dartmouth, George Washington University, Bowdoin College, Wellesley College, and Middlebury College.

Link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eCJjJ7wgT5-yigsdtpfdxw?ampDeviceId=0958dadc-9947-4294-9580-d8e3a8e3531d&SessionId=1773623853085&DeviceId=0958dadc-9947-4294-9580-d8e3a8e3531d&SessionId=1773623853085

From our friends at East-West Connections: On Wednesday, February 25 at 7 pm, join us for a fascinating discussion between two career diplomats who are experts in the Central Asia region:

Retired US Diplomat George Krol | Foreign Service Officer
Mark Jorgensen | International Operations, Management, Customer Service Expert

The major focus will be on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the relationship of these countries with Russia, China, Western Europe, and the United States.

Register at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qmJ0XLDUSWKYtuPzxEG7_w?ampDeviceId=b1fdaa7c-0407-4579-bf4c-dfebc8ac564c&SessionId=1770961617666&DeviceId=b1fdaa7c-0407-4579-bf4c-dfebc8ac564c&SessionId=1770961617666&_gl=1*14oan84*_gcl_au*NjQ3NzA4MjEyLjE3NzA1ODc5MjIuMTQyNDc5MjMyMC4xNzcwNTg4MTA4LjE3NzA1ODgxMDg.*_ga*MjAyNzUzNTc3MC4xNzcwNTg3OTM0*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*czE3NzA5NjE2MTUkbzMkZzEkdDE3NzA5NjE2MjkkajQ2JGwwJGgw&utm_source=Russian+American+Business+and+Culture+Council&utm_campaign=5732e5b65b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_02_13_05_44&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-5732e5b65b-409223743 #/registration