Study Abroad: Fieldwork Opportunities in Folklore, Ethnomusicology and Cultural Anthropology (Siberia, Russia, Kazakhstan)

Deadline: (Varies) December 2019 – May 2020

American Friends of Russian Folklore is pleased to announce eight folklore expeditions in Russia, Siberia and Kazakhstan for the summer of 2020.   Volunteer positions on theexpeditions are available to students, academics and others.

Expeditions are led by qualified scholars with years of experience in the field. Volunteers join in the work of the expedition – conducting interviews, making video and audio recordings, serving as audiences and helping to process collected field materials. Team members live in rural villages where they are immersed in  local customs, language and food. Fluency in the local language is helpful, but not required.

Volunteers pay a fee which covers their accommodations, food and transportation during the expedition, plus a share of the general expedition expenses. College credit through students’ home institutions can be arranged in many cases.   Scholarships are available.

AFRF Folklore Expeditions in 2020: 

Maslenitsa – songs, stories and rituals. Smolensk oblast.
     Feb 19 – Mar 3    Dr. Yelena Minyonok, Gorky Institution of World Literature

The Funeral of Stroma (rain-making ritual).  Nizhnii-Novgorod oblast.
     June 8-20       Dr. Yelena Minyonok, Gorky Institute of World Literature

Okunevo – place of power (new-age spirituality in traditional village).  Omsk oblast.
     July 1 10        Dr. Tatiana Saveljeva, Chelyabinsk State University  

Legends, songs and holy springs (Russian folklore).  Altai Republic.
     July 10-23          Dr. Alevtina Tsvetkova,  Pavlodar State University (Kazakhstan)

Manpupuner – Mountain of Idols (ancient site, contemporary beliefs), Sverdlovsk oblast.
     August 1-8     Dr.Tatiana Saveljeva, Chelyabinsk State University

Where cultures meet  (Russian and Altain folklore).   Altai Republic.
     July 18-30          Dr. Yelena Minyonok, Gorky Institute of World Literature

Settling Siberia (folklore of Ukrainian and Belarusian settlers of Siberia).  Irkutsk oblast.
     Aug 21–Sep 4     Dr. Yelena Minyonok, Gorky Institute of World Literature


Russian Old Believer folklore, Honey Savior festival.  East Kazakhstan.
     August 9-19   Dr. Alevtina Tsvetkova,  Pavlodar State University (Kazakhstan)
Details:  www.russianfolklorefriends.org       Email:  info@russianfolklorefriends.org