VESTNIK – Issue 21, Fall, 2024
Vestnik was launched by SRAS in 2004 as one of the world’s first online academic journals focused on showcasing student research. We welcome and invite…
Read MoreArticles by Josh Wilson
Josh has been with SRAS since 2003. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. He lived in Moscow from 2003-2022, where he ran Moscow operations for SRAS. At SRAS, Josh still assists in program development and leads our internship programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.
Book Review of Hard by a Great Forest
Hard by a Great Forest, by Leo Vardiashvili, is a wonderful, horrible book. The book is wonderful in that it presents believable, likeable characters who…
Understanding Moscow through Literature, History, and Film
Fyodor Tyutchev once said that “Russia cannot be known by the mind” – but perhaps Moscow can be known through literature and historical surveys? A…
Recommended Books for Understanding Russia
The following books are those that have left a deep impression on me. They are books that I was driven to pick up and keep…
AI in Publishing and Education
As someone who works in publishing and with student authors, I have had the opportunity to both work with generative AI and with students working…
VESTNIK: Call for Papers, Editorial Board, Policies, and Processes
Vestnik was launched by SRAS in 2004 as one of the world’s first online academic journals focused on showcasing student research. We welcome and…
Latvia: A Case Study of Colonization and Independence
Latvia is a small country on the Baltic Sea coast. Although it has maintained a distinct language and culture for hundreds of years, it has…
Origins of Russia: Moscow Becomes an Empire (Prehistory to 1584)
Moscow is not just a city. It was a fort that became a city, that became a state, that became an empire, that became a…
Armenia: A Global People
The Modern Republic of Armenia lies in the turbulent south Caucuses. Although the Armenians as a people have existed for thousands of years, they have…
Armenia’s Foreign Policy and Security Issues for 2023
The most important issue in Armenia’s regional relations is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia is a landlocked country flanked by two historical adversaries, Turkey and Azerbaijan,…
Nagorno-Karabakh: The Volatile Core of the South Caucasus
The Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is one of four frozen conflicts that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Legally recognized as a part of…
Kyrgyzstan: A GeoHistory Study Guide
Kyrgyzstan is a small, strikingly mountainous country near the center of the immense Eurasian landmass. Influences from diverse empires can be felt there today: Mongol,…
Georgia: A GeoHistory Study Guide
What Georgia might lack in size it makes up for in personality. Over the millennia, the nation we now call Georgia has been part of…
Uzbekistan: A GeoHistory Study Guide
When the Silk Road passed through Uzbekistan, its cities grew to some of the world’s largest, most prosperous, and most learned. Many of the great…
A Traveler’s Guide to Russian Banks
Many traveler’s handbooks, in the 1990s and even into the 2000s, warned foreigners to be wary of ATMs in Russia. A lot has changed since…
The Ukraine Border Crisis: Seven Questions Answered
For the past two months, the international community has been watching the Russian-Ukrainian border crisis unfold. The following article will try to gauge whether active…
Russian for Wonks: Demographics and Childbirth
Russian demographics have been a major policy issue for the Russian state since its formation in 1991. It has also been well covered in both…
Russian, US Top Diplomats Meet: In Side-by-Side Translation
Both Russia and the US are testing the waters for a possible meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today, on…
Renting in Russia: Language, Legalities, and Culture
The word for “landlord” in Russian is actually the same as the word for “host” – . Renting in Russia, whether apartments or rooms, comes…
Putin’s New Year Message to Russians in Translation
While Americans gather around TV screens to watch a ball drop on Times Square to bring in the New Year, Russians gather around to watch…