query: research on Russian paganism

[nataliek at UALBERTA.CA]

Quoting Francoise Rosset <frosset at WHEATONMA.EDU>:

> Dear SEELANGers:
>
> One of my students is trying to put together a thesis on pagan ideas 
> and practices that might have survived to mordern times, in Russia 
> and Ireland. She'll be spending a semester in Ireland and wants to do 
> summer research in Russia.  Her Russian is OK but certainly not 
> fluent.
>
> We're trying to determine how best to organize this: where should she 
> be based, what institution, what area; which people should she 
> contact and what is the best way of contacting them.
> I have instructed her to start by contacting some folklore scholars 
> in North America.
>
> Any other suggestions and comments would be most welcome.
> As always, thank you in advance.
>
> Please direct answers to: frosset at wheatonma.edu
>
> -FR
> -- 
>
> Francoise Rosset
> Russian and Russian Studies
> Interim Coordinator, Women's Studies
> Wheaton College
> Norton, Massachusetts 02766
>
> phone:  	(508) 286-3696
> fax #:    	(508) 286-3640
> e-mail: FRosset at wheatonma.edu
>
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>


I have responded to Prof. Rosset's student directly, but I thought I 
would also
write to the list for others interested in fieldwork in Russia.  I would
recommend 2 programs:

1) Russian Expedition out of the Institut Mirovoi Literatury in Moscow. The
contact person there is Yelena Minyonok.  The URL is 
http://www.russianexpedition.net/

2) The Propp Institute in St. Petersburg. The contact person is Svetlana
Adon'eva and the URL is http://www.folk.ru/english/

I have had several students go with the Minyonoks and so I can attest that
everything works out just fine.  In fact, both students went back for second
trips.  One of the students had virtually no knowledge of Russian.  She ended
up working on material culture and the Minyonoks took care of her well enough
for lack of language knowledge not to be an issue.

I contacted Svetlana Adon'eva when I was looking into programs several years
ago.  At that time, she said that they could indeed take students along with
them on their expeditions.  They could even provide an interpreter, if 
needed. And, as I recall, the interpreter fee struck me a more than 
reasonable.

So - two good options through reputable institutions with scholars who are
knowledgable and productive and have extensive field experience.

Right now, nothing established for Ukraine, but we are working on an agreement
with IMFE, the Academy of Sciences Folklore Institute in Kyiv.  In the
meantime, we could probably arrange for someone to join an expedition on a
case-by-case basis.


Natalie Kononenko
Kule Chair of Ukrainian Ethnography
University of Alberta
Modern Languages and Cultural Studies
200 Arts Building
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E6
Phone: 780-492-6810
Web: http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/uvp/

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