Resolutely ignoring the growing international tension between Russia and the United Kingdom, forty people, including myself, are currently spending two weeks at the University of Essex in Colchester polishing up our Russian language skills.
The Russian Summer School at Essex is a rather unique institution which has been a regular feature of the Anglo-Russian scene for many years. 2007 is very likely to be its last year however. Russian, in common with other modern languages is one of those academic subjects that seem to have rather fallen from favour with students, and Essex University has now closed its Russian Department.
Contrary to what people may glean from the media most Russians are cheerful and pleasant people who like nothing better than to have a party, sing a few songs and declaim a poem or two. Most Russians have their ‘party pieces’ which they perform at ‘Vecherinki’ (evening parties), and visitors to Russia are well advised to have something up their sleeves for such occasions such as the ability to recite ‘Daffodils’ or sing ‘Scarborough Fair’.
In the interests of improving international relations I have decided to share with you some photographs of the Vecherinka held on Thursday evening in a garden in Colchester. In addition to some Russian dancing, you can see me with two old pals giving our rendition of the 2005 hit from Moscow ‘I want a man like Putin’ (Ya khochu takoro kak Putin), an absolutely genuine song in which the singer compares her archetypal Russian boyfriend with the non-drinking, non-fighting clean living man that is the President).
It will be very sad to see the end of the Russian Summer School. Ironically it may be coming to an end just as when we need some new trainee James Bonds!
