Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Extracurricular Opportunities in Russian and REES

Students of Russian, Russian and East European Studies, and those with ties or interests in the region take part in a number of singular and recurring activities in the Oberlin area.

Russian House: Many students with an interest in Russian/Russian and East European Studies choose to live in the Allencroft Russian House, a coeducational Russian-language residence hall that regularly welcomes members of the broader campus community to Russian (and some East European) events throughout the academic year.

Concerts: Each semester, dozens of concerts by Oberlin ensembles, students, faculty, and visiting artists feature the music of Russian and East European composers. Check out upcoming music events on the Oberlin events calendar.

Allen Memorial Art Museum: Oberlin’s art museum has a strong and growing collection of Russian and East European art, featuring the work of such artists as Marc Chagall, Natalia Goncharova, Nicholas Roerich, Marjetica Potrc, Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo Javacheff), and Arshile Gorky.

Many of these are permanently on display in the galleries, and museum staff frequently curate temporary exhibitions that include Russian and East European art. Students also have the chance to view artworks requested from storage by REES and Russian faculty for class visits designed in coordination with the museum’s curator of academic programs. All students may rent artworks for a semester through the Allen’s Art Rental program, for which a generous donation by Henry Klein (a dealer of East European art and Oberlin alumnus) has made available a large number of prints by artists from East European and former Soviet countries in the art rental collection .

Orthodox Christian, Catholic, and Jewish Services: Students interested in worshipping at or observing a service in these or other religious communities should contact the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Services of several faiths and denominations are held on campus, and there are also religious institutions in the vicinity with East European connections that students frequently visit.