Author: Josh Wilson

Tklapi, Pastegh, Lavashak: One Ingredient Fruit Leather from the Caucasus 

Fruit leather is simple, ancient food. Like bread and roasted meat, it likely independently evolved in several places. At its most basic, it is simply mashed fruit smeared to a sheet and left to dry in the sun. The result is a flavor-intensive food that travels well and can keep for months. The oldest known […]

Resources for Students of Ukrainian

This list of web resources to assist students learning the Ukrainian language was developed by SRAS and is now hosted on Folkways, part of the SRAS Family of Sites! If you have a resource to recommend, please contact us! Testing Resources report an error back to top The Step to Ukraine project provides extensive testing […]

Azerbaijani Identity: Understanding the Azerbaijani National Narrative

What created Azerbaijani national identity? This is a complex question and one that is personal for each Azerbaijani. This resource will focus on presenting one element of this identity – the Azerbaijani national narrative. Who are the national heroes and pivotal events that they learned about in school? What are the major events that led […]

Christianity and Paganism in Russia: Моя Россия Blog

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Christianity and paganism in Russia as well as touches upon issues of religious freedom. While Orthodox Christianity is the most popular and politically powerful religion in Russia, pagan traditions still survive and other Christian faiths exist. This is part […]

The Talking Azerbaijani Phrasebook

The Talking Phrasebook Series presents useful phrases and words in side-by-side translation and with audio files specifically geared to help students work on listening skills and pronunciation. Below, you will find several useful phrases and words. To the left is the English and to the far right is the Azerbaijani translation. In the center column […]

Kazakh Identity: Understanding the Kazakh National Narrative

What created Kazakh national identity? This is a complex question and one that is personal for each Kazakh. This resource will focus on presenting one element of this identity – the Kazakh national narrative. Who are the national heroes and pivotal events that they learned about in school? What are the major events that led […]

The Surprising Story of Russian Buddhism: Моя Россия Blog

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Buddhism in Russia. Buddhism is a small but historically important minority faith in Russia, especially in the Southern regions of Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia. The material below details both the challenges that Buddhists have faced in integrating to wider […]

Latvian Holidays 2025: A Complete Guide

Latvian holidays are steeped in ancient pagan tradition. Most important are the winter and summer solstices. Connections with the ancient past are thought to be the most authentic connections with being Latvian. Other major holidays celebrate the hard-won independence and sovereignty of Latvia. Soviet influence, especially as compared to other former Soviet republics, is minimal, […]

Islam in Russia: Моя Россия Blog

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Muslims in Russia. Islam is the largest minority faith in Russia and Muslims are a growing and important demographic there, especially among immigrants from Central Asia. The material below details both the challenges that Muslims have faced in integrating […]

Active Leisure and Extreme Sport: Моя Россия Blog

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the tradition of taking extreme camping trips in Russia and other countries of the former USSR. The text was originally writen in 2015 and thus references times when, for instance, travel between Russia and Ukraine was common place. Today this is no longer the case, […]

Medical Russian Vocabulary: Doctors and Folk Remedies

Healthcare abroad is often different from what we’ve experienced at home. How doctors and homestay facilitators may react to certain illnesses is different. Medicines and procedures that can be prescribed by doctors are often different. Over-the-counter brands that can be recommended by pharmacists are often different. Home remedies offered by friends or homestay facilitators can […]

Jewish Latvia: A Brief History and Guide

This guide offers advice to Jewish students considering study abroad programs in Latvia. Here, you’ll read about the local Jewish history, Latvia’s active synagogues, staying kosher, and about some of Riga’s major Jewish cultural organizations, museums, and memorials. Most importantly, we’ll get you on your way to engaging with the local Jewish community and comfortably […]

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