The Twentieth Annual Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies Northwest Conference Saturday, April 26, 2014 Portland State University Portland, Oregon The Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the University of Washington and the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Portland State University are currently soliciting papers, panels or

By Indra Ekmanis On July 7, 40 University of Washington choral students stood 5,000 miles from home surrounded by a 15,000 member choir singing patriotic songs in an obscure Baltic language. The UW delegation was one of only two non-Latvian choirs to participate in the Latvian cultural event of the decade, the XXV National Song

by Christi Anne Hofland This article is based on a paper presented at the Nineteenth Annual Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies Northwest Conference in April 2013. Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled with uncertainty as it attempts to solidify a national identity and forge a path for its future. One of its greatest

by Indra Ekmanis Can the dream of a basketball team represent the dream of a country? Director Marius Markevicius, argues “yes” in The Other Dream Team, a colorful film that merges the fight for an Olympic title with the struggle for an independent Lithuania. The film follows the careers of five Lithuanian basketball players, four of whom (Šarūnas

by Allison Dvaladze It was a welcome sight to see so many familiar faces gathered under the Georgia Race for the Cure tent, selling homemade goods, and marking another year as breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Georgia, and despite progress, over 55 percent

by Indra Ekmanis In a ghoulish mash-up of American Halloween and Baltic St. Martin’s Eve (or Martinmas) traditions, supporters of the UW Baltic Studies program flock to the Latvian Community Center in vibrant costumes each October. Celebrating the end of the traditional harvest season and the enduring success of the Baltic Studies Program, community members

by Katie MacDonald Sitting together on the porch in the village of Chobogh, members of a rural Tajik family asked where I was from, if I liked Tajikistan, the cold weather in Seattle, if I made cow-patties to heat my family’s home there, and why I had my nose pierced. I joked that it was

By Scott Radnitz Welcome to the launch of the new Ellison Center blog for the REECAS community. We hope this new addition to our online presence will contribute to increased engagement, discussion and awareness of our rich community. Our return to campus this fall comes after a summer in which our region dominated the headlines,

by Indra Ekmanis More than 30 scholars of various disciplines participated in the 19th Annual Northwest Regional Conference for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies on April 27. Hosted by the University of Washington’s Herbert J. Ellison Center and Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the conference covered themes across time and space under

by Indra Ekmanis While tens of thousands of Russian heritage speakers live in Washington State, few have the opportunity to study Russian outside of the home or in community schools. STARTALK, a language program at the University of Washington, is helping to change this. The summer program offers a chance for high school students and