Education in Russia: Then and Now
Interactive and Beautifully Illustrated Presentation

"Russian Schoolroom", a painting by Norman Rockwell completed for Look magazine in 1967.
The painting was inspired by the Rockwell's visit to the Soviet Union in December 1963.
 
This presentation is a valuable learning experience for teachers, middle and high school students, and adult learners. In a talk filled with vivid anecdotes drawn from her own personal experience growing up in Soviet Russia, from her annual tours to Russian for educators, and from her extensive research on contemporary Russian educational theory and practice, Marina will explore the unique role of education in Russian life and the continuity of educational and social values. The program will include a discussion of the fascinating 1967 painting by Norman Rockwell called “Russian Classroom.” This work was inspired by Rockwell’s 1963 visit to Russia and his insightful observation of the classroom experience of Russian schoolchildren in the 1960s. Marina will bring her own perspective to the analysis of the painting since she was, at the time, a student in a Russian classroom very much like the one depicted in Rockwell’s painting. As with all of her presentations, Marina’s performance is sometimes a little bit funny, sometimes a little bit sad, but always unmistakably Russian.