Language

Resources for Students of Russian

This extensive list of web resources to assist students learning the Russian language was developed by SRAS and is now hosted on Folkways, part of the SRAS Family of Sites! Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we will earn an affiliate commission if you […]

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The Talking Turkish Phrasebook

The Talking Estonian Phrasebook

Recipes

Oromo, Orama, Khanum: A Turkic Pumpkin Delight

For those obsessed with all things pumpkin — pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice-cream, pumpkin-spice lattes — oromo (оромо) is sure to please. Oromo is a rolled, layered, steamed pastry that comes with various fillings (pumpkin being common and our favorite). It evokes everything we love about pumpkin season back home in the States. This main dish […]

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Kulich, Paska, Nazuki: The Easter Breads of Eastern Christianity

Pierogi, Pīrāgi, Varenyky: A Tour of Pastries and Dumplings

National Narratives

Georgia’s Story of Identity: Heroes, Memory, and Meaning

What shapes Georgian national identity? The answer is complex and personal, but one key element is the Georgian national narrative. This includes the heroes and pivotal events taught in schools, the places central to the nation’s collective memory, and the language and beliefs that frame its worldview. A national narrative goes beyond history: it is […]

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Poland’s Story of Identity: Heroes, Memory, and Meaning

Serbia’s Story of Identity: Heroes, Memory, and Meaning

Holidays

Kupala: Ancient Slavic Midsummer Mythology and its Modern Celebration

Kupala is an ancient Slavic holiday celebrating the summer solstice, or midsummer. Once part of a series of annual rituals, it marked and was believed to sustain agricultural cycles—essential to early human survival. Held as vitally important, these pagan traditions remained deeply rooted even after Christianization, technological change, and centuries of oppression tried to dislodge […]

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Latvians on Ligo, the Wild Midsummer Celebration

Maslenitsa, Masliana, Meteņi: Spring Holidays of the Slavs and Balts