Russian in Boston

This digital project is a central source of information on community-based course “Russian in Boston” that examines patterns of local emigration out of Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. Students conduct oral interviews in Russian with members of local émigré communities, and conduct original research on Russian emigration. The site features capsule histories, photographs, documents, scrapbooks, video and audio interviews with native speakers of Russian living in Boston, and monographs by community authors. The purpose of the site is to present the data and materials gathered to the public, and to build an online database for further analysis.
This site serves as a central source of information for the course “Russian in Boston.” This course combines the study of Russian language and culture with a community-based practicum to examine Russian-speaking diaspora in Boston and the surrounding region to understand the point of view and personal experience and beliefs of the local Russian-speaking communities. The purpose of the community-based research is to elicit and analyze very different stories and experiences that can inform multi-faceted ethnographic study, in which narrative interviews are a key research tool. Students conduct oral interviews in Russian with members of local émigré communities and build up an online database and a digital archive for further analysis.