Russian Cambridge on the USSR

22/05/2019

Courses on Russian History and Culture

Marina Burrell has been a tutor for WEA Cambridge since 2015, delivering courses about Russia, covering topics on Russian politics, culture and history. As a Russian, she shares her views on the Russian Culture.


Why do you feel so passionate about sharing Russian Culture with others?

- For centuries, Russia has been a mystery for westerners! – that’s what my students usually say at our first session. I have been helping them to solve that mystery since I came to Cambridge in the early 1990s, first teaching the Russian Language and Culture at Anglia Ruskin University, then working for WEA. Over the years, the interest in Russia has turned into real demand due to considerable changes in the relationship between Russia and the West, and the rather limited information in the British media.

The British audience is eager to know about everyday life of ordinary Russian people, their likes and dislikes, their thoughts about westerners. My extensive first-hand experience of living in many parts of the USSR since childhood, supported by loads of authentic documents from my family archive and personal research, videos and artefacts, help make this “mysterious” country more real and human. I regard this as my mission - to share my experience and thoughts with British people to make them better understand modern Russia through her history and culture.


What do you think is unique about Russian culture?

- According to my students’ feedback, what fascinates them most about Russian culture is its multi-national character. There are over 186 ethnic groups living in the Russian Federation. If you hear Ukrainians, Buryats or Tatars speaking Russian in Cambridge, you would probably call them all Russians, but those peoples not only look different but also speak their own languages.

Another aspect of Russian culture discovered by my students is the unique role of Russian poetry, not only in Literature in general, but surprisingly, in Politics as well. “Only in Russia is poetry respected. It gets people killed. Only in Russia. Nowhere else.” This quote belongs to one of the greatest Russian poets, Osip Mandelshtam (1891-1938) who perished in Stalin’s purges. The best Russian poets, Pasternak, Akhmatova and Tsvetayeva, are considered as the epitome of freedom, unconformity, the Russian soul and consciousness of the Russian nation. During the course, we analyse their poems and even try to translate them, comparing them with the best English poetry. Comparison of our cultures is one of the main aspects of my courses that the students enjoy most.


What impact do your courses have?

- Inspired by our discussion of the Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich’s novel “Zinky Boys”, a student from Buckden Branch created his own poem - an amazingly deep pe*******on into the mind of a Soviet veteran traumatised during the Afghanistan-USSR war in 1980s.

The poem is part of my course now, like many other students’ contributions, including outcomes of individual research, impressions shared with their fellow students after reading Russian books or watching films, all inspired by our class discussions.

Ordinary people are very much alike in both countries, that’s what my students conclude. They have similar emotions and needs. They all want to live happily with their families in a peaceful world. As a lecturer and as a Russian, I am very proud of being able to inspire British people to such positive thinking.

22/05/2019

Courses on Russian History and Culture

Marina Burrell has been a tutor for WEA since 2015, delivering courses about Russia, covering topics on Russian politics, culture and history. As a Russian, she shares her views on the Russian Culture.

Why do you feel so passionate about sharing Russian Culture with others?

- For centuries, Russia has been a mystery for westerners! – that’s what my students usually say at our first session. I have been helping them to solve that mystery since I came to Cambridge in the early 1990s, first, teaching the Russian Language and Culture at Anglia Ruskin University, then working for WEA. Over the years, the interest in Russia has turned into real demand due to considerable changes in the relationship between Russia and the West, and the rather limited information in the British media.

The British audience is eager to know about everyday life of ordinary Russian people, their likes and dislikes, their thoughts about westerners. My extensive first-hand experience of living in many parts of Russia since childhood, supported by loads of authentic documents, videos and artefacts from my family archives and research projects, help make this “mysterious” country more real and human. I regard this as my mission - to share my experience and thoughts with British people to make them better understand modern Russia through her history and culture.


What do you think is unique about Russian culture?

- According to my students’ feedback, what fascinates them most about Russian culture is its multi-national character. There are over 100 ethnic groups living in the Russian Federation. If you hear Ukrainians, Buryats or Tatars speaking Russian in Cambridge, you would probably call them all Russians, but those peoples not only look different but also speak their own languages.

Another aspect of Russian culture discovered by my students is the unique role of Russian poetry, not only in Literature in general but, surprisingly, in Politics as well. “Only in Russia is poetry respected. It gets people killed. Only in Russia. Nowhere else.” This quote belongs to one of the greatest Russian poets, Osip Mandelshtam (1891-1938) who perished during Stalin’s purges. The best Russian poets - Pasternak, Akhmatova and Tsvetayeva, - are considered to be the epitome of freedom, unconformity, the Russian soul and consciousness of the Russian nation. During the course, we analyse their poems and even try to translate them, comparing them with the best English poetry. Comparison of our cultures is one of the main aspects of my courses that the students enjoy most.

What impact do your courses have?

- Inspired by our discussion of the Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich’s novel “Zinky Boys”, a student from Buckden Branch created his own poem - an amazingly deep pe*******on into the mind of a Soviet veteran traumatised during the Afghanistan-USSR war in 1980s.

His poem is part of my course now, like many other students’ contributions, including outcomes of their individual research, impressions shared with their fellow students after reading Russian books or watching films, all inspired by our class discussions.

Ordinary people are very much alike in both countries, that’s what my students conclude. They have similar emotions and needs. They all want to live happily with their families in a peaceful world. As a lecturer and as a Russian, I am very proud of being able to inspire British people to such positive thinking.

31/05/2012

This is a video illustration to S. Lamanov's night Revelations account of the events in Moscow on 6th May - the demonstrations against Putin - published earlier on this site: http://echo.msk.ru/blog/danilalindele/893718-echo/

Lamanov calls Putin 'a rat' and claims that 'the Russian people don't want him as their president.' He writes: "6 мая 2012 года путинская мразь сводила счеты с народом, который не желает эту крысу считать своим президентом." Lamanov is a member of the CSR Fund that published a report on perspectives of the development of the political crisis in Russia that you can access here: http://www.csr.ru/

Несколько дней назад новый министр внутренних дел Владимир Колокольцев заявил, что 6 мая полиция не использовала спецсредства, а полицейские максимально толерантно работали в экстремальных условиях для того, чтобы обеспечить безопасность большинству участников протест

24/05/2012

Ночное откровение. Moscow, 6 May 2012.

Когда я раньше читал рассказы о бурных событиях типа стычек или баталий, я удивлялся тому, что рассказы получались у рассказчиков какие-то рваные. Слово они не знали, не умели описать все связно и прибегали к приему фрагментарного изложения фактов, свидетелями которых им довелось быть.
Но оказавшись сам в такой ситуации, я ощутил, что сознание действительно в такие минуты становится как бы не непрерывным, а дискретным, фрагментарным. Поскольку напряжение ощущается все время, непрерывно. А ничего не происходит, потом вдруг события ускоряются и снова пауза. Словно бы волны набегают на берег и откатываются. А потом снова.
Я помню все такими вспышками, в перерывах между которыми время как бы не существовало, оно было медленным и в это время только накапливался взрыв.

Мы с друзьями с остановками шли по Якиманке и вышли к Болотной к моменту завершения скомканного митинга. С трибуны нас призвали пойти на помощь людям, сидевшим на асфальте - на мосту у «Ударника». И мы повернули со всеми назад.
Мы почти взошли на Малый Каменный мост, продвигаясь по узкому коридору между митингующими и ОМОНом. Справа были мундиры и шлемы, а слева – гудящая масса людей.
И вдруг масса этих гестаповцев в шлемах пришла в движение и прижала нас к людской стене. Мы стали выдираться из давки. Отчетливо помню небольшой разрыв в цепи ОМОНа - вроде как выпал один из бойцов. Тут же я его увидел – он отодвинулся на шаг назад, присел и держал правую руку наизготовку на уровне груди: сжал кулак, глядел зверем и явно собирался бить, если я подамся хоть на шаг вперед. Шлема на нем отчего-то не было и его перекошенной лицо не закрывало забрало – как у всех прочих «слуг правопорядка».
Так мы сдвигались по лини соприкосновения людей с ОМОНом – пока не оказались снова у начала Болотной. Моя спутница (Наташа Смородинская, сотрудник Института экономики РАН) стала жаловаться на боль в ребре, и я счел за благо предложить ей отправиться домой.
Потом долго как бы ничего не происходило. Люди стояли, упершись в ряды ОМОНа. И плохо было видно и ничего нельзя было понять. Все просто ждали. Затем я взобрался на парапет и стал хотя бы видеть, хотя и ничего по-прежнему не понимать.
И я увидел, как подался на нас ОМОН и стал выхватывать людей и люди стали метаться и отбегать и снова возвращаться и так продолжалось долго. Туда и назад прокатывались линии митингующих. И все были рассеяны и при каждом приступе ОМОНа в гестаповцев летели пластиковые бутылки и древки флагов и какие-то более мелкие предметы – не понятно толком, какие. Потом полетели фальшфейеры и на мосту что-то загорелось и пополз дым. И там колебалось взад-вперед море людское и кричало «Фашисты!». И мы тоже кричали им «Фашисты, эС-эС!» и они знали, что это про них.
А потом вдруг ребята быстро вывели из рассеянной но борющейся массы людей молодого парня с сильно разбитой в кровь головой. Хотя раненый был вполне в себе, но голова была все же разбита очень сильно. И его обступили и я вспомнил, что у меня в рюкзаке есть какие-то носовые платки. Но платки мои не понадобились, парню лили на голову воду из бутылки и какая-то пожилая женщина протягивала ему предусмотрительно захваченный бинт… и куда-то его отвели потом товарищи.
И вдруг в какой-то момент ОМОН перешел в атаку и оттеснил собравшихся, но отступил и сам. И передо мной образовалось пустое место. Люди были разогнаны, а гестаповцы стояли в ожидании подкреплений или приказа.
И тогда я увидел. Очень серьезно и без суеты, молчаливо и как-то свирепо стали строиться в шеренгу молодые ребята и девушки. И девушки вставали в первых рядах и это меня поразило больше всего. Они вставали в шеренгу с очень серьезными лицами. Они брались за руки и образовывали плотную стену. И за ними становились еще и еще ряды. И построилось их так в шесть или восемь рядов. И подчиняясь чьей-то команде они не пошли вперед а остались там, где построились. И это было красиво и смело как в книге. И молодые ребята рядом неистово били в барабаны, а построившиеся скандировали: «Пока мы едины, мы непобедимы! Путин –вор!» И барабаны подстраивались под ритм речевок и получалось очень торжественно, как перед атакой… А потом эти ребята все же двинулись и ОМОН вошел с ними в клинч.
И поскольку стоять уже было не можно, я соскочил с парапета, стал в задний ряд этой фаланги и стал подпирать передние ряды как мог. И мы держались и ОМОН не мог одолеть этой фаланги. И его гнали и улюлюкали и свистали и хлопали в ладоши. И опять в них летели, кувыркаясь, бутылки и палки…
А потом гестаповцев подвалило невероятно, просто стало черно на мосту от их шлемов. И они прорвали наш левый фланг – у канала - и проломили центр. Но это случилось не сразу, а по прошествии времени, которое я не могу оценить. И в это время я снова стоял на парапете и все происходящее разворачивалось у моих ног.
А сзади – сразу за моей спиной, стояли, маясь, цепью молодые курсанты какой-то школы полиции и обменивались своими впечатлениями: «Если бы не эти люди, я был бы сейчас на даче» – тянут какой-то курсантик. А моя соседка слева – красивая девушка с разгоревшимся лицом пыталась их вразумлять, и они как-то вяло спорили с ней. Я слушал это левым ухом, потом развернулся: «Вы, ребята, стойте тут и просвещайтесь. Это вам полезно…»
Я видел, как снова оттеснили всех вглубь Болотной и ОМОН снова махал дубинками и теснил и теснили его и с них срывали шлемы и бросали в воздух. А потом мимо меня двое ОМОНовцев провели под руки своего товарища, которому закатали, видно чем-то в голову. И кто-то кричал со мной рядом на парапете: «А теперь сдохни!»
А потом ОМОНа подвалило еще. И их новый отряд прорвался в массу стоявших сбоку – из сквера. И разорвал стоявших на две части. И тут стало понятно, что все закончилось. ОМОН взял под контроль набережную Болотной площади и никто не загородит ему путь. И их набежало еще и они построились, развернулись и стали теснить к выходу всех, кто еще бродил по набережной…
И произошел у меня тут короткий диалог с подполковником МВД.
- Товарищ подполковник – сказал я ему – вот скажите, что вы будете теперь делать с этим народом?
- Это еще не народ - ответил офицер.
- Вот я народ, - вскричал я и ударил себя в грудь ладонью.
- И я народ – закричал ему мой сосед.
- Вы понимаете, что все эти люди ненавидят Путина, что вы с ними будет теперь делать? – продолжил я.
Подполковник молчал, буддистская улыбка застыла на его губах.
- Всех благ! - отсалютовал я ему открытой ладонью, спрыгнул с парапета и пошел сквозь цепи ОМОНа искать дорогу на мост через Обводной канал.
Я шел вдоль цепи полицейских всех мастей и окрасок. И какой-то мужчина передо мной сокрушенно говорил им: «Ведь рабами будет, неужто не понятно. Детей ваших жалко».
- У них нет детей! – сказал я, осторожно беря его за рукав…

24/05/2012

I am posting a heart-breaking account of one of the participants of the latest events in Bolotnaya Sq in Moscow on 6 May 2012, just a day before Mr Putin resumed his throne. It's in Russian only and maybe someone could volunteer to translate it? The author is just an ordinary Russian citizen who's deeply concerned about his children's future.

22/04/2012

LOVE by LEND-LEASE
more info: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/features/8778658/Arctic-Convoys-of-WWII.html

It is now 70 years since the first Arctic convoy left for Russia. Churchill called it 'the worst journey in the world', but two nations found friendship in adversity.

22/04/2012

LOVE by LEND-LEASE
Eric Gemmell and Elena Ivanova

Eric Gemmell was just 21 years old when he was sent to Russia on the PQ17 convoy as a naval telegraph operator in June 1942. The convoy was bound for Murmansk but after an attack the ships scattered and he ended up in Arkangel instead. Eric was a very good footballer, and this, according to him, was the reason he was kept in Arkangel - so he could play for the navy team. There he met Elena Ivanova, who was working as a librarian in the medical library, and they fell in love. When she became pregnant they tried to marry, but this was not allowed and instead Eric was sent first to Moscow, where he was a naval representative at the British Embassy, and then, at the end of 1943, home to England before being posted to Bermuda, where he remained for the duration of the war.

Their son, Edward Erikovich Ivanov, was born on January 19th 1944, and Elena registered Eric as his father on the birth certificate. Eric continued to write to her until 1947 – he had hoped that when the war ended they would be able to marry and Elena and his son would come to England. Instead, in October 1946 Elena was arrested and in January 1947 was sentenced to 10 years hard labour in Siberia as an ‘enemy of the people’. She later said that she only survived because of her love for Eric and their son, and she remained faithful to him, always hoping that one day they would be together again.

For over 50 years the cold war meant there could be no communication and so Eric had no idea of this. When he heard nothing from her he assumed that she no longer felt the same – confirmed for him when the only word was an official letter in 1955 asking him to renounce paternity of Edward – something he was not able to bring himself to do for another 4 years. He married a childhood friend and had three more children, Jean, Anne and Ian, who knew nothing of this tragedy in his past.

In 1995 for the first time veterans from the convoys were allowed to go to Archangel to celebrate with citizens there the 50th anniversary of the defeat of N**i Germany. Among them was Bill Lowes, who asked one of the journalists who was present, Olga Golubtsova, to help him to find Zina, his wartime sweetheart. Looking for her, Olga found many other women who had loved one of the sailors from the convoys, including Elena Ivanova.

Bill Lowes knew Eric, and in 1998 they met and Eric heard for the first time what Elena had suffered because of their love, and of the death of their son in 1994. By this time he was nearly 80 and not in good health and this unexpected news was a terrible shock to him. He wrote to Elena telling her ‘You were my first love and we could have been very happy together but fate decreed otherwise.’ He hoped that they would be able to meet again in the kingdom of Heaven. Elena died in 2002 and Eric in 2008.

In the last years of his life Eric had dementia, and as the past became more real than the present he began to talk about Elena and he finally told his children about their Russian half brother. A friend in Moscow helped them to find Edward’s daughter, Irina Lomteva, and in October 2011 Jean and Anne went to visit her in Arkangel. When she and her husband, Volodya, come to England in May 2012 for a family wedding they will meet all their other English relatives, and it will also be a celebration of hope after so much sadness.

Jean Glasberg April 2012

22/04/2012

"Love by Lend-Lease"
Dear group members! I've been recently told a fascinating story of love and tragedy during WW2 between a British naval officer who was on famous convoy PQ17 and an ordinary Soviet woman in Archangel. This story encapsulates the tragic fate of people divided by the Iron curtain.
My colleague has shared it with me and, with her permission, I am sharing it with you.
You might know people with similar stories whom we could invite to share their memories at the meeting we are planning to arrange in May 2012.
Please join us!

11/12/2011

ИНФОРМАЦИОННО - АНАЛИТИЧЕСКОЕ ИЗДАНИЕ ФОНДА ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЙ ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ интернет-газета издаётся с 21 сентября 2004 года

11/12/2011

Cineworld: "Vysotski" - a new film on Russian TV 1/12/11.
He was a symbolic figure in the Soviet culture of 1970s, theatre and song culture in particular. I wonder whether British people knew/know anything about Vysotski.
Any reviews in English?

11/12/2011

"Collaborators": STALIN & BULGAKOV

- A new play by John Hodge broadcast live on 1 December 2011.
Alex Jennings as Bulgakov and Simon Russell Beale as Stalin.

Read a review by Carol Q. below and an article in Russian
about S. & B.'s relationships in real life.

- We went to see Collaborators and really enjoyed it. It was a rather dark comedy with an almost cuddly Stalin! Of course his actions weren't pleasant at all but the play was about him charming Bulgakov through their collaboration in writing a play to celebrate Stalin's 60th birthday - and the way the establishment drew people in through gifts/ special treatment/ propoganda.

It seems that Stalin had become a secret fan of Bulgakov who we find out of work struggling as playwright out of favour with the regime. Stalin's wish that he create a play about the young, pre-revolution Stalin to celebrate his 60th birthday was a task not to Bulgakov’s liking but he was persuaded by the wiles of two secret policemen exhibiting a mix of amiability and menace. Stalin got stuck in to helping Bulgakov personally and, surprise, surprise, had most of the ideas for the script, which ensured he would come over as a thoroughly heroic youth, a suitable father of the nation. One of Stalin’s first acts was a rebellion in the seminary where he was training to be a priest - an early life not many people know about (?says my partner Mike). So keen did Stalin become on the work that he ended up doing the typing whilst Bulgakov busied himself signing Stalin’s matters of state, invariably with dire consequences for Bulgakov’s conscience. The establishment was starting to help with inducements, gifts and special treatment for Bulgakov, so towards the end Bulgakov seemed to be back to his pre revolutionary Bourgeois self of fine clothes and good food - although not with his full complement of friends or peace of mind.

It was very cleverly put together and the humour nicely balanced the grim subject - I think most of the cast had disappeared/been killed/committed su***de or, in B's case, just died! The frustrating thing for me was not knowing how much was based on reality and what was pure fantasy!

Взаимоотношения этих лиц давно привлекали исследователей. За последние десятилетия вопрос этот достаточно прояснен.

06/12/2011