Home > News > Archives > Russian Day" for Adults (2005)

A "Russian Day" for Adults

Around 40 people attended the Kotlas Connection's first annual "Russian Day", a one-day introduction to Russian language, arts and crafts, history, and food. The program was held at the Pugh Center, Colby College, on Saturday, September 24, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Russian Day was based on Russian Sampler, the Kotlas Connection's long-running springtime program for middle school students, but was targeted at teenagers and adults. The adult program was cosponsored by Colby's Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement and the Colby College Russian Program.

During the morning, participants each attended two one-hour classes. During the first session, they were able to learn basic Russian, decorate Russian Easter eggs, study Russian history through stamps, or learn about World War II submariners. In second hour, the participants could paint clay animals, study Russian icons, or view a slide presentation on last summer's trip to Kotlas. The attendees were then treated to a Russian repast of borscht, black bread, salads, and beverages.

The day concluded with a one-hour panel discussion on life in Russia today. On the panel were Adil D'Sousa, a Colby senior studying Russian and Chinese Literature; Natasha Kudriavtseva, Colby's Russian language assistant for the 2005-2006 academic year; and Peter Garrett, a cofounder of the Kotlas Connection and a member of last summer's delegation to Kotlas. D'Sousa spoke about interpersonal relationships in Russia; Kudriavtseva talked about Russians' opinions of Presidents Putin and Bush; and Garrett described some of startling changes in Kotlas since his first visit there in 1989.

<— Back • Top