The Russian House
Welcome to the Russian House
Events
Every week the Russian House hosts different cultural events: films, dinners and teas, board games, poetry readings, musical performances, and much more. These informal gatherings provide a unique opportunity for students to meet and put their Russian skills to use while enjoying Russian art and food. Students of all levels of ability are welcome and encouraged to come! Our resident Russian Language Scholar is always on hand for advice and support.
In addition to these weekly events, the Russian House holds a larger on-campus event once every semester, to which all Ƶ students are invited. You may also want to check out the Department Events page.
The Russian House's weekly events:
- Cultural Events - Every two weeks the Russian House hosts a Russian-related activity. These often include film screenings, Russian games, cooking lessons, crafting, and readings. These generally take place on Thursdays or weekends. Check for emails from gkanderson@reed.edu for events.
- Movie Nights – Every week the Russian House hosts a movie night. The movies are chosen by our Language Scholar, Rokhila, or recommended by the Russian Department professors. Movie nights include snacks and tea, and are followed by a brief conversation about the movie. Movie nights are on Thursdays at 7:30 PM.
If you are interested in being added to the Russian House email list, please contact the Russian House Adviser, Grace Anderson, at gkanderson@reed.edu.
Russian House Adviser
My name is Grace Anderson and I am the Russian House Adviser for the 2024-25 school year! As the HA, I will be planning various events and outings focusing on different aspects of Russian and Post-Soviet culture—including crafting, cooking, and poetry events. We also often take field trips so make sure to sign up for off-campus events as well. Rokhila Saidasanova, the Russian Language Scholar, will also be planning events, so be sure to look out for emails from us both. If you would like to be added to the email list, please email me at gkanderson@reed.edu.
Русскиӣ Дом 2019
Russian House softball team, 2016
Russian film with live musical accompaniment at the Russian House
Russian Scrabble
Charles Isenberg Collection
Charles (Chuck) R. Isenberg (1944-1997) was a member of the Ƶ Russian Department from 1985 to his death in 1997. A graduate of Columbia University with an MA and Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Harvard University, Prof. Isenberg taught at Wesleyan University before coming to Ƶ.
A specialist in the prose of Osip Mandelstam, the frame narrative, Russian realism, modernism, and narrative theory, he was an active contributor to numerous professional journals and conferences, editor of the Tolstoy Society Journal, and author of Substantial Proofs of Being: Osip Mandelstam’s Literary Prose (1987) and Telling Silence: Russian Frame Narratives of Renunciation (1993).
At Ƶ Professor Isenberg introduced a number of innovative courses, including: "The Russian Novella," "The Soviet Experience: Society, Literature, and Culture," "Tolstoy," "Gulag Narratives," "The Chronicle Novel," "East European Cinema," "Literature and Culture of Glasnost Era", "Mandelstam" and distinguished himself by his unfailing grace, wide-ranging expertise and intellectual curiosity. His generosity of spirit knew no bounds, and his gentle sense of humor was always in good supply. Outside the walls of academia, Professor Isenberg was a passionate skier and a masterful sailor who enjoyed nothing so much as tacking off the coast of Maine.
As part of his legacy to Ƶ, Chuck left an exquisitely curated teaching library to the students of the Russian House so they may continue to learn and to expand their horizons even as they engage in silent dialogue with the great minds who authored the texts. The Charles Isenberg Collection is available to all students of Russian and is permanently housed in the Russian House, Woodstock I.