News
Join us for this year's celebration of Maslenitsa, 4 – 5:30pm, Pane Room, Alexander Library! We'll eat bliny and other snacks, enjoy games and music, and learn about Maslenitsa (Shrovetide) traditions throughout the Slavic world. With questions, please contact the REELL Program Director at
Join us for the first film in our Spring 2025 series, Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War (2018). The film will be introduced by Dr. Kamil Zapaśnik, who joins us as a Lecturer this semester at Rutgers, and followed by Q & A and open discussion. Refreshments served! All are welcome. With questions, please contact the REELL Program Director at
Friday, Feb. 21, 10:30 AM, AB West 4140
Please save the date for our first event of the semester, a study abroad info session on Monday, Feb. 3 at 4 PM, AB West 6051 (6th floor). We will introduce a range of international and domestic programs for studying Polish and Russian language. We will also give an overview of our departmental Ilavsky scholarships, which are available to all current REELL students to support study abroad (in case of financial need). Tea and cookies served. Please mark your calendars! If you’re not available then but would like more information on study abroad or the Ilavsky scholarship program, feel free to write to the REELL Program Director at
Join renowned Professor Pavel Khazanov for a slow journey through one famous Russian novel: Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita (1940). The novel is a fantastic account of 1930s Russia under Stalin, whose primary characters include an imprisoned novelist, his witch-like lover, a talking cat who wields a gun, and Satan himself. It blends magical elements with Soviet history, philosophy, and slapstick comedy, making it an enjoyable and accessible entry point into Russian culture.
This course guides students in the basics of reading a literary text from a culture different than our own, providing the rudimentary cultural and historical context. Some of the questions we will tackle are: how to keep track of many characters whose names have multiple versions? What exactly is a religious “icon,” and why do people carry them around? What was unique about daily life in the Soviet Union? How can we understand Russian attitudes towards money, family, faith, and art ? This course is taught in English and has no prerequisites. No knowledge of Russian is required.
In collaboration with departments and programs across the university, REELL has created a NEW minor in Slavic and East European Studies (861)! If you're interested in the history, culture, and politics of eastern Europe and the former contiguous Soviet bloc, and are excited about studying a relevant regional language (including Polish, Russian, and more), this is the minor for you! Learn more on our minors page and write to REELL Director Prof. Chloë Kitzinger to express your interest: