Russian Program Experiences Surge in Interest

To the surprise of the Russian program staff, the first-year Russian language classes at Holy Cross have recently experienced an extraordinary growth in enrollment. According to associate professor Amy Adams, student interest “hasn’t been so evident since the end of the Cold War.” First-year classes have grown from seven students in 2005 to 27 this semester.

With the Museum of Russian Icons, the International Center of Worcester, and the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center’s outreach to abandoned children in Pskov, there is a strong connection between Worcester and Russia. However, Holy Cross has one of the only educational programs for Russian language and literature in Central Massachusetts.

The Russian program in the department of Modern Languages and Literatures works with these organizations, but also hosts many speakers and events that draw national attention.

“Our dedicated Holy Cross faculty in the departments of Modern Languages and Literatures, political science, history and philosophy, has helped host Russian journalists, poets, writers, even a rock music critic, and conferences” says Adams.

“We’re dynamic, fun and offer a wide variety of language, literature, arts and culture courses,” she adds.

Colleges and high schools across the country are also reporting significant increases in Russian enrollment. Although there is no obvious explanation for the recent student interest in the subject, Adams cites both local and national changes as influences. On a local level Adams says, “Holy Cross students seem more adventurous these days. Many of our students say that they wanted to try something new.”

First-year Russian student Elizabeth Montgomery says, “I decided to take Russian because I really wanted to challenge myself. I want to be in the corporate world some day, and I feel like knowing Russian would be a very unique and valuable asset to have, since not many people know Russian in the United States.”

Adams also believes that her passionate colleagues — visiting assistant professor Olga Partan and visiting international lecturer Tatiana Tsykalo — have had a positive influence on the program.

Montgomery agrees. “The department is a very close knit community because we all bond over this difficult, yet wonderful, language,” she says.

Nationally, Adams attributes the rise in enrollments to the Obama administration’s resolution to reset U.S.-Russian relations and ensuing media attention on Russia, restored government grants for graduate studies, military activity in the Black Sea, Russia’s role in major international issues like climate change, and possibly Russia as the site of the 2012 Olympic Games.

“When I found out Holy Cross had a Russian program that increased my interest in the College even more,” says Nicholas Pope ’13. “In fact, the availability of a Russian program became one of the deciding factors in choosing a college. Not many [Americans] know the language, yet Russia remains a world power. Russian culture is fascinating and vaguely reminiscent of the United States in that the Russian Federation spans an enormous territory, including dozens of ethnicities.”

Adams says: “Ultimately, credit goes to our students, who give our small program the energy and enthusiasm it’s known for. Word of mouth is a powerful force.”

By Elizabeth Rodgers ’11

* Read a story about the sudden interest in Russian studies at Holy Cross in Inside Higher Ed

Pictured: Cathedral of Christ in Russia

December 2, 2009|nm