Housed within the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma, the Romanoff Center for Russian Studies promotes the interdisciplinary study of the Russian Federation and its larger historical precursors, the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire. Founded in 2022, thanks to the generous bequest of Princess Janet Romanoff, the Center is dedicated to informing both the University of Oklahoma community and the broader public about the history and culture of Russia, current events involving the Russian Federation, and Russia’s actions on the world stage. It sponsors lectures, symposia, and cultural events; engages with scholars and public figures nationally and internationally; and works to support excellence in teaching and research in Russian studies.
Congratulations to Dr. Melissa Stockdale who received a Franklin Grant from the American Philosophical Society to support work on her current book project Monumentally Divided, which considers conflicts over monuments to the past in various countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Congratulations to Dr. Dustin Condren on receiving a Fulbright award. Dr. Condren will spend the 2025-2026 academic year in Potsdam, Germany, where he will be based at the Film University Babelsberg. He will use the university's excellent Soviet film collection to gather material for a new book project that focuses on the depiction of animals in early Soviet cinema.
On Tuesday, September 16, 5:00-7:00 p.m. (CDT), the Romanoff Center will sponsor a zoom forum on the viral literary sensation Pioneer Summer, a young adult romance by Elena Malisova and Kateryna Sylvanova that took Book Tok by storm and prompted a new Russian crackdown on LGBTQ+ representation. This event will be moderated by Eliot Borenstein, professor of Russian and Cultural Studies at NYU, and will include the participation of Anne O. Fisher, the translator of the novel; Julie A. Cassiday, professor of Russian and Gender Studies at Williams College; and Rustam Alexander, historian and author of Red Closet: The Hidden History of Gay Oppression in the USSR. Register for the event here.
On Thursday, September 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Zarrow Hall Community Room, Mr. Nick Nicholson, Director of Russian Art and Artworks at Heritage Auctions and authority on Russian émigré collections, will deliver a lecture titled "Accidental Curators: The Descendants of Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia" to coincide with the opening of the exhibit of materials from OU's Romanoff Archival Collection, which will be on display in Bizzell Library from September 2025 to February 2026.
Attn: Prof. Emily Johnson
Department of Modern Languages, Literatures & Linguistics
University of Oklahoma
780 Van Vleet Oval, Room 206
Norman, OK 73019
Romanoffcenter@ou.edu
