The Russian Studies Department in collaboration with the Russian Club co-sponsored events for the Unity Week Against the War, according to the Russian Department’s events page. Multiple events were held throughout the week of March 8 through to the 12.
The Unity Week Against the War in Ukraine is meant to bring attention to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and provide community members with the opportunity “to show their support and learn more about the situation in Ukraine,” according to a post on the university’s Instagram page.
“The faculty of the Brandeis Russian Studies program condemns Russia’s military assault on Ukraine and President Putin’s use of historical distortions and cynical lies to justify Russia’s attack on Ukrainian sovereignty,” reads the department’s page, “We stand with all the people of Ukraine and Russia who oppose this war. Our hearts are with our students, alums and colleagues, many of whom have family and friends in the region”
The first event, held on March 8, was a fundraiser to support Ukrainian refugees. Community members could buy a sunflower hairpin from the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) atrium. All of the proceeds raised from the sale would go towards a fund for Ukrainian refugees, according to the event page. Another event was held on March 8 to teach community members the Russian alphabet in order to make anti-war signs. The goal of the event is to teach those who are not familiar with Cyrillic letters how to read and write in order to curate anti-war posters, according to the event page.
Anti-war signs were hung along the base of the stairs in the SCC. Signs read, “Peace in Ukraine” and “Protect Not Attack” with blue and gold coloring that match the colors on the Ukrainian flag. More anti-war signs were written in Russian calling for an end to the violence, according to a photo obtained by The Brandeis Hoot.
On March 9, the European Cultural Studies Program (ECS) in partnership with the Russian Studies Department and Russian club hosted its first event in the Chocolate Cake Lecture Series, according to the event page. The talk covered Leo Tolstoy’s—a Russian writer—work “War and Peace.” The talk was set to occur before Russia invaded Ukraine but was later tied into The Unity Week Against the War, as the Russian Department deemed it would “be relevant to the ongoing situation,” according to the event page. Later on March 9, community members were given the opportunity to go to Skyline Commons to make Cheburashkas—a fictional character created by Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky. According to the event page, Cheburashka “is a symbol of friendship and brotherly love.” Community members could make their own Cheburashka with felting provided by the department. Community members could also make hearts or sunflowers with the felting. If students wished, they could donate the Cheburashka they made to their fundraiser, or they could keep them for themselves to bring “peace and comfort.”
A screening of the documentary “Winter on Fire” occurred on March 10. This event was intended to provide community members with the “opportunity to learn about the western perspective on the Euro-Maidan revolution of 2014, which set in motion a chain of events that led to the war in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea,” according to the event page. Following the documentary, university professors Stevel Wilson (POL) and Irina Dubinina (RUS) facilitated a discussion with students where students were encouraged to ask questions.
“All We Need is Peace” is the name of the event being held on March 11. This event is the second fundraiser of the Unity Week Against the War week. Featured at the event will be homemade cakes, bliny and more Ukrainian and Russian dishes, according to the event page. Money raised from this event will be donated towards Ukrainian refugees and Russian anti-war protestors, according to their flyer. The event will be held in the atrium of the SCC.
The last event scheduled for the Unity Week Against the War week is a cooking session. On March 12, community members will have the opportunity to make borsch. Borsch is a hearty soup that is “a staple for Ukrainians and Russians alike,” according to the event page. It is also common in Polish and Eastern European Jewish cuisine. The event will have both meat and vegetarian borsch options available for community members to enjoy, according to the event page. The event will be held in Ridgewood Commons.
“As we are all deeply distressed by these events and ask ourselves what we can do, the Russian Studies program will continue its work toward our declared learning goals, which include helping students apply the acquired understanding of literary, linguistic, and historical analysis to raise and explore new questions about Russia and the Russophone world. We believe that acquiring this knowledge and skills is ever more important in these difficult times. We recognize that our classes will now take place in the shadow of this war, and we are here to support our students and colleagues,” reads the Russian Studies Department page.
Editor-in-Chief Sasha Skarboviychuk did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.
