Oxford University Russian Society
Russian Studies in the UK dates from the 19th century, when it was introduced first at Oxford (1869), then at Cambridge (1889). Since then, the relative health of the field has fluctuated in correspondence with the state of the United Kingdom's relations with Russia.
The Oxford University Russian Society was founded in the Oxford University in 1909 by Prince Felix Yusupov, then a student at the University College, Oxford, in order to promote links between Russia and the University. Almost a hundred years onwards, the society continues to espouse the same values with cultural events and talks by well-known and influential figures. It is not affiliated with any political party or movement, which allows it to host political speakers of great diversity.
The Russian Society currently numbers around 900 members. The aims of the society are to unite compatriots in Oxford, to promote Russian language and culture, and to support Russian-speaking students who wish to study in Oxford. In order to realise these aims, the Russian Society regularly holds many events, such as screening Russian films, organising conversational lunches, holding Russian celebrations and concerts, organising lectures by famous politicians and prominent cultural figures from Russia and other countries on the topics related to contemporary Russian politics and culture.
The website of the Oxford University Russian Society is listed in the British Library's Guide to Slavonic and East European internet resources.
Read more about Oxford University Russian Society: External Links
Famous quotes containing the words oxford university, oxford, university, russian and/or society:
“During the first formative centuries of its existence, Christianity was separated from and indeed antagonistic to the state, with which it only later became involved. From the lifetime of its founder, Islam was the state, and the identity of religion and government is indelibly stamped on the memories and awareness of the faithful from their own sacred writings, history, and experience.”
—Bernard Lewis, U.S. Middle Eastern specialist. Islam and the West, ch. 8, Oxford University Press (1993)
“I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all ... like an opera.”
—William Butler Yeats (18651939)
“His role was as the gentle teacher, the logical, compassionate, caring and articulate teacher, who inspired you so that you wanted to please him more than life itself.”
—Carol Lawrence, U.S. singer, star of West Side Story. Conversations About Bernstein, p. 172, ed. William Westbrook Burton, Oxford University Press (1995)
“A country is strong which consists of wealthy families, every member of whom is interested in defending a common treasure; it is weak when composed of scattered individuals, to whom it matters little whether they obey seven or one, a Russian or a Corsican, so long as each keeps his own plot of land, blind in their wretched egotism, to the fact that the day is coming when this too will be torn from them.”
—HonorĂ© De Balzac (17991850)
“The truth is that every intelligent man, as you well know, dreams of being a gangster and ruling over society through violence alone. Since this is not as easy as the novels would have us believe, people generally resort to politics and join the cruelest party.”
—Albert Camus (19131960)