Basketball in Russia
Activities
By Sandra White, University of Florida

     Have you ever wondered what happens to the college basketball players who aren’t drafted into the NBA?  Well, for those who don’t give up their dream of playing pro basketball, they come to Europe and play in the Euroleague.  There are 24 teams from all over Europe and parts of the Middle East.

   We were lucky enough to get tickets to the last two games of one of the local Moscow teams, CSKA (which stands for Central Sport Club of the Army).  This team has a large, loyal following of fans that show up to games decked out in the team’s name and colors on scarves, face and body paintings, and shirts.  A special seating section is reserved for kids in the CSKA fan club, courtside, who dress-up completely in CSKA colors, including wigs, and bring a huge drum that they bang during cheers.  Right before the game, there is a video of clips from past games of the players and fans, followed by the introduction of the visiting team and then the introduction of the CSKA players.  The team’s dance girls form two lines and hold fake swords, which they wave as each player is introduced and runs through.  After the player introductions, to remind the fans that they are appreciated, a picture is shown of loyal supporters as player number 25. 

       The first game we went to see was against the team from Spain called Unicaja.  Irina Tulchinskaya’s mother works for one of the television stations and was able to move us to great center court seats.  When the game started we had a vague idea that Euroleague basketball was played with different rules than in American, but we had no idea how much.  As the game progressed we saw many instances where we thought blatant fouls had been committed, yet none were called and other instances where the littlest thing would get called and fouls would be awarded.  Another major difference we noticed is that here the periods only last for 10 minutes, where as the US has 15-minute periods.  We noticed that both teams took all of their timeouts throughout the game, during which the dance girls would come out in a different outfit and perform a short dance to well-known pop music.  .

            The second game we attended was against the Turkish team Efes Pilsen.  When we arrived we found out that the stadium was sold out and almost every seat filled.  This game kept the fans on the edges of their seats all night.  Irina’s mother allowed us to sit in the old commentators boxes, at the top of the stadium, and watch the game.  The view was great and we didn’t have to worry about being bumped around or stepped on by rowdy fans.  Through the whole game, the teams would take turns leading by a few points only to lose the ball and have the other team score a few baskets.  In the end CSKA won by 66-54 and every fan was celebrating the victory even more because it was CKSA’s last home game before the playoffs. 

            We were all very excited to have experienced this type of cultural event.  It’s nice to known that there are people around the world that share a common love of sports.  If you ever get the chance to travel to Europe, I would highly recommend trying to get tickets to a Euroleague basketball game; the experience is amazing.

It’s amazing but true---the ice of winter is gone and our feet are firmly underneath us once again. Where trails through the snow once existed, now double-wide sidewalks appear and what used to be muddied piles of snow has turned into small lakes, streams, and revealed new buds of grass. While some days are damp and giving some of our hair a case of the frizzies, other days are simply blue bird days, nearly 50F, full of radiant sun and warmth (Tyler Wiltgen’s dad, Art even got a tinge of sunburn last week). The Moscow mud of winter has turned into the Moscow mud of spring...now not only wet, but also thick due to the high clay content in the defrosted soil. The changes of season are reflected everywhere.

      In the open-air markets, the old wooden stands were knocked to the ground and have been replaced by colorful polyester tents. Where vendors pleaded with us to purchase fuzzy shopkas (winter hats) now rows of sunglasses appear. The easy-wear black overcoats are being replaced with lighter and more colorful jackets---I am not the only purple parka in town anymore! For women, skirts appear above the knee and for men shorts are becoming the daring look and sport coats are replacing leather.

      Food selection has become more festive with the first strawberries now available and menu selections moving to the lighter side for two reasons: weather and holiday. We are in our final week of the Lent observation and for strict Russian Orthodox observers that has meant no meat or sweets for 49 days, so vegetables have taken center court on the plates of many. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs are in abundance and readily available for soups and sandwiches.

       For many of us, the arrival of spring brings great anticipation as well. We eagerly await the trees to bud, the grass to fill in the front boulevards, and a trip to St. Petersburg where our hopes are high that the weather will hold out and show off the city to us. What a terrific season to end our stay in Russia!

Happy Spring everyone!!! 

    Throughout this semester, nine Russian students have been toiling alongside the seven American students in classes that have ranged from ethics to extension services.  Initially hesitant about taking classes from English speaking American professors, the Russian students have succeeded brilliantly in all of their coursework.  Past newsletter articles have focused on the American students and their experiences.  Truthfully, none of those experiences would have been memorable if it had not been for our Russian counterparts. 

   Two of these students are technical services majors in the field of foreign agricultural machines.  Olga Streltsova, 19, is from Moscow and hopes to some day own and operate an exotic car dealership.  Aleksandra Shmeleva, 20, was born in Ukraine in the Zhytomyr Region and lived there until her parents moved to Gubkin, Russia when she was 16.  She hopes to own a private farm with a large house and many children.  Both Olga and Aleksandra have plans to work in England this coming summer in strawberry production.

    Irina (Ira) Tulchinskaya, 20, is an education major in the Engineering Pedagogical Department. She is a huge fan of the Russian national teams in soccer and basketball.  When she was younger she was an avid swimmer and she loves classical and modern music.  The American students recently spent a weekend in her Moscow flat where she cooked us dinner and entertained us with her amazing piano skills.  

    There are only two Russian men in our group, and they put up with 12 females amazingly well.  Ivan Kapustin and Mikhail (Misha) Samsonov, both 20, are also education majors at MSAU.  Ivan would like to travel to America, Holland, and England while Misha would love to experience Egypt, Tibet, Japan, and Hollywood.  Ivan enjoys reading and looks forward to being a teacher.  Misha loves potatoes, games, and videotaping candid group moments.

   Sasha Zapolskaya and Anna Chertykovtseva, both 20, are roommates and common American companions when the group ventures around the sights of Moscow.  An outstanding pianist, Sasha is from the town of Nikolsk in the Penzenskaya Region of Russia.  While she was in school there she won many awards at various piano concerts.  Sasha loves volleyball and is always the first to pet any dog we encounter at the various farms we tour.  Ann holds the record within the Russian group for the longest trip home.  Two full days on a train will bring you to her hometown of Taraz, Kazakhstan. She is a very outgoing social person and is known by most people in our hostel. 

     Anastasia (Nastya) Samsonova hails from Moscow.  This 19-year-old defines music fan.  She loves hard rock music and raves about bands Alisa and Tractor Bowling. Her and her mother make amazing wine from the Mountain Ash berry found in the Moscow region.  This ability coupled with her funny and intelligent personality make her a must at any party, class, and “Grey Ghost” bus ride.   

    The town of Himki claims Margarita Bobrova as a local treasure.  Margaret, as we call her, is 20 and enjoys reading, classical music, and swimming.  Often calm and always sweet, Margaret portrays a deep intellect and a fun loving spirit in her writing and her conversations.  Her patience is unending especially when you want to book tickets to the ballet and you end up in a conversation with a laundromat and she then has to clear up the mess. 

    The greatest aspect that this program has had on the Russian students is the opportunity to communicate with native English speakers and form lasting friendships.  “I hope that we will meet again some day,” wished Sasha. 

     One thing is for certain, our memories and bonds with these 9 amazing individuals has been the highlight of this experience.  They are more astounding than Red Square and more enlightening than the rich Russian history.  Through them we have experienced the Russia that cannot be taught in the classroom or read about in a book.

Back-to-School
Culture
By Olivia Yu, University of Maryland

    English is mandatory at Russian high schools which are called gimnasias.  Sometimes, these schools are for students who are talented in a particular area of study.  We meet with students from the fifth to eleventh forms at Gimnasia #1536 who wish to practice their English every Tuesday afternoon.  Both the students and teachers are very interested in speaking with native English speakers.  This collaboration between MSAU and the nearby gimnasia is beneficial to both parties: we have a chance to learn and observe the Russian education system while Russian students practice their English and learn about American culture.  A reoccurring topic is language differences between American English and the British English that the Russians learn in school.  One of the teachers, Vita, is especially curious about slang and their uses.  Two special events have made my visits with these students memorable.  One was a music performance and the other was a lesson in baking.

      Vera, one of our Russian professors, taught us a famous Russian folk song “Katyusha.”  We enjoyed the music style and Katie Harwick (Penn State) and I had expressed interest in learning more traditional Russian songs.  Coincidently, Vita told us that her husband, Misha, knows how to play the garmoshka, a Russian style accordion.  So, last Sunday night, many teachers who taught English, Misha, Katie and I had a party at the school with a cultural lesson in Russian folk songs.  Surprisingly, we recognize many of them from listening to a street musician who plays in the underpass of our metro station.  Kyra, another teacher, played her guitar accompanied by the teachers’ singing.  They performed for us a large repertoire of popular songs that they all know as part of their social education.  As a present, Katie baked the traditional American dessert, apple pie, for the event.  The pie was a real treat for all participants as it was a sweet symbol of our friendship.

     One method we thought would convey some of our American culture was a cooking lesson. We decided to make a very American dish: chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal.  Heather McCartney (Montana State), Becky Kossler (Montana State), Katie and I met with a group of girls from the tenth and eleventh forms and some English teachers last Tuesday afternoon and we baked cookies.  Both we and the Russian girls learned together as we experimented with the ovens and they tried raw cookie dough for the first time.  We introduced new ingredients such as Crisco, vanilla extract and chocolate chips.  The Russians do not have similar ingredients since rich, soft cookies like chocolate chip is not the norm for Russians since they tend toward crackers and biscuits.  However, it does not mean that they do not love cookies as much as their American counterparts.  Our gift to the Russian teachers and students was a taste of American culture and a delectable recipe to take home to share.

     Experiences such as these are the essence of studying abroad.  The learning and information exchange between different cultures enriches all those involved.  Sharing food is especially a great way to learn and to teach.  The Russian teachers showed us the spirit of Russian hospitality, which usually involve music and songs.  For us, sharing something as American as apple pie and chocolate chip cookies is a reminder of good times and good friends.

      When Howard and Kathy Ladewig visited Russia in 1998, they witnessed a country struggling to pull itself from the doldrums of socialism, desperately trying to become a partner in the capitalist world economy.  This trip was somewhat uncomfortable for the Ladewigs, as the ruble had just been devaluated, Russians were nervous and many American comforts could not be found here.

    Five years later, Howard is teaching a course at Moscow State Agroengineering University and his wife Kathy is accompanying him on the month long excursion.  They have found that Russia has made leaps and bounds in its economic progress and life is much more relaxed.

  “Russia was very tense (in 1998),” says Kathy, “now Muscovites are smiling and seem to be enjoying their lives.”

   Howard Ladewig’s course is entitled “Development, Implementation and Evaluation of Extension Education Programs in Agriculture” and deals with starting, monitoring, and evaluating an extension program.  The class meets twice per week for 6-hour sessions through the month of April.  The Ladewigs are from Florida where Howard works in the Agricultural Education and Communication Department.  He also serves as the state leader for extension evaluation and accountability and is regarded as one of the nation’s foremost extension program evaluators. He has taught at Clemson University, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and now at the University of Florida. Kathy retired after 34 years of teaching human nutrition at the university level.  She was also a nutrition specialist in Louisiana and has taught courses at Louisiana State and Texas A&M.  When approached about teaching an extension course in Moscow, Howard jumped at the opportunity.

 “I think it is very important for people to understand how agriculture works in other countries,” he said.

   Now that their month is winding to a close, the Ladewigs both realize that the interaction between themselves and the American and Russian students will be the biggest impact from this experience.  They also have enjoyed experiencing the culture and learning more about the heritage that the Russians are so proud of. 

    Russia has changed so much in the past five years, and the Ladewigs have noticed it with every experience they have encountered in this trip, especially increases in advertising, product availability, and the market practices of Russians.

  “Vendors are very persistent this time around,” says Howard. Most of all, the Ladewigs have looked at this trip as a tremendous opportunity to see the relationships between students from two different countries.  They have enjoyed their experience immensely, and we have enjoyed spending part of our study abroad experience with them.

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