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ВЫПУСКНИКИ
– О
СВОЁМ
СТУДИЙНОМ
ОПЫТЕ И О
СЕБЕ
Of all the
teachers I have ever had, Nina Goldmakher is one of the very few who was able
to communicate to her students a sense of the *beauty* and *excellence* of art
- two qualities that have all but lost their value in the mainstream humanities
curriculum. She showed us how to read the literature in our parents'
language carefully and critically, but more than that she encouraged us to love
it and cherish it unabashedly, and for that I am most grateful.
P.L.R., class of 1998; Harvard graduate
___________________________
As I said at
graduation, I literally cannot imagine who I would be without Nina and her
studio. It has changed not only my life but also myself - in every way for the
better. Some of my most cherished memories of high school and middle school
have to do with Nina, her studio, and the friends I made there. I learned not
only about
Ilya Lozovsky, class of 2002; Tufts graduate
___________________________
----- Original
Message -----
From:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: russianstudio@comcast.net
Sent:
Subject: just a thought
>Dear Nina,
>I think three years ago was the
first time you told our class that your graduates were begging you to let them
stay for another year. I remember how I, along with the rest of the class,
laughed at the idea and groaned at the over-load of homework for the week.
Suddenly I find myself understanding how those graduates felt. I'd give a lot
now to start the class all over again, or simply continue it where we stopped.
I regret every time that I skipped homework and missed an opportunity to read
more. I look at myself now, and yes I'm reading, but nowhere near as much as I
did during the course, and completely different literature. I keep noticing how
things are missing from my life, and now that I'm putting together a new
schedule for the school year, it's so strange to me that for the first time in
seven years Russian literature isn't in it. Someday, probably someday soon,
I'll be able to formulate a more accurate letter of how I feel about the last
seven years of my life, about the things I've read, the things I've learned
about myself and the world, and the reason behind it all. But for now, I wanted
to say thank you. Thank you for all that you've given me, the 15 other people
that graduated with me, and the classes before. Thank you for continuing to
teach, and giving the opportunities for kids to learn about the many characters
within themselves. If you do ever reconsider starting a class for graduates, I
hope I'll be one of the first you call.
>Yours, Lyusha
Leah Goldberger, class of 2004; BHS graduate
___________________________
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vera Belitsky"
<xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
To: "Russian Studio" <russianstudio@comcast.net>
Sent:
Subject: new topiс
> Nina,
> On a lighter conversation topic, I just received my first A+ on a paper at
Tufts!
> It happens to be a paper analyzing poetry, and
the teacher was surprised at my skill, so thank you!
> The roots of your literary education, it turns
out, are very deep.
> tseluyu,
> Vera
Vera
Belitsky, class of 2002, Tufts graduate
___________________________
Out of the 5 years that I attended Nina's class 3 were
spent driving back and forth from Worcester.There was never a question of too
much time spent in the car or missing my favorite TV shows when we had to leave
early due to traffic. Fridays were Russian class days, and I refused to miss
them. It has been over 2 years since I last had to take a quiz on War and Peace or recite a poem but I can
still find symbolism in the densest of Tolstoy texts and Master and Margarita now has a permanent place on my desk in
college…
Svetlana, class of 2002,
UMASS graduate
___________________________
----- Original
Message -----
From: "Olga V Bichko"
To: "Russian Studio" < russianstudio@comcast.net >
Sent:
Subject: Hello!
> Hi Nina,
> How are you? I'm doing great! …school is wonderful! I love all my
classes and professors. I joined the Russian Club and we just had a
Poetry Night. I was so excited! I didn't realize how much I missed reciting
Russian poetry. I read three Tsvetaeva poems and everyone in the club was
amazed! They all wanted to know how I learned to read with such emotion and
such good pronunciation and with such a "stage voice"! I said it was
very simple- I had a great teacher :) Now they asked me to become one of
the leaders of the club and I'm helping plan and organize events. How are
things with your new class? I hope everything is going great!
> Until next time
> Olya
Olya
Bichko, class of 2004; NYU graduate
Looking back at my
school years, the Russian Literature and Drama Studio is something whose worth
I never once second-guessed or doubted. I always looked forward to its classes,
and those two-hour sessions were the highlights of my week. It was educational,
it was interesting, and, thanks to Nina, it was unbelievably enjoyable.
I
started attending the class when I was ten and from the first day, I was
impressed by Nina’s knowledge of the minutiae of the subject while
remaining open-minded. She had a strong
opinion about every book, poem, or essay that we read, but she still encouraged
us to form our own views on every issue. I still remember our many discussions
about the depth of Tolstoy’s or Dostoevsky’s characters. I remember
the heated debate on whether or not a person like Raskolnikov could exist in
the real world, I still disagree with Nina, and the majority of my class, but
it was one of the best arguments of which I have ever been a part.
In
my first year with the studio, I was told that we were putting on a
performance. I was terrified of the stage and public speaking in general, but I
still signed up for as small a part as could be given to me, which was Anuchkin in a scene from The Marriage by Gogol; learned my
lines; and prayed that I would not do something foolish. The production was
incredibly entertaining, and I continued acting. My stage fright and fear of
public speaking gradually disappeared and I
started getting larger parts, finishing my studio acting career with my
favorite part of Khlestakov in the Inspector General. I grew to
love theater. Even now, in college, I continue to perform in theater. In my
college courses, I completed a great many class presentations relying on the
skills gained from the studio stage director Michael Redko.
Lastly
and, in my opinion, most importantly, Nina becomes the friend of every one of
her students, offering advice and thoughts beyond the class walls and affecting
her students for years after they graduate her class. I speak Russian at home and
even try to get my little brother to do the same. I have continued reading in
Russian, and I still miss Nina’s classes and concerts. I must say that
this class is one of the most worthwhile and valuable commitments that I ever
made.
Yura
Podpaly, class of 2002, MIT graduate
As children grow up in
the world of today, they seem to elude and forget their cultural past. The
Russian Studio has allowed me to truly understand and dwell into classics that
have shaped so much of intellect and values that my parents have, and always tried
to instill in me. Initially joining the Russian Studio was my parents'
undertaking which I dreaded. Only one and the first class was enough for me to
personally fall in love with the concept...
The personal relationship
that Nina encourages with her students truly identifies her passion and
excitement to teach. “Aunt Nina?” I said, as I raised my hand the
first class of attendance. The response was shocking. She encouraged me to
speak to her on a first name basis. This allowed for interaction that praised
mutual respect and understanding. We as students of the studio were not
lectured - we were taught, in the ideal
understanding of the word. As years go by since my graduation I can still
remember all of the insights that I received into the literature as well as the
culture that I grew up in.
The Russian Studio is not a place to go or join, it is a body on
its own that needs to be experienced. Lectures, discussions and re-enactments
transcend through time... “Vse schasliviye semyi pohozhi drug na druga,
kazhdaya neschaslivaya semya neschasliva po-svoemu.” Lev Tolstoy. The
Russian Studio and Nina have definitely made the families of the participating
students happy and almost alike. Those that would consciously choose not to
join will be forever unhappy and never fill a cultural void.
Mikhail
Grinberg, class of 2000; UMASS graduate
Nina’s Russian literature studio was a remarkable
experience; it exposed me to various works of great literature and provided me
with fascinating discussions on the serious topics explored. Nina has done
something phenomenal by bringing together bright and interested students and
taking them through generations of literature... I have personally benefited
from Nina’s class in more ways and in more depth then from all of my
public education in
Iosif Gershteyn, class of 2004; Brandeis
student
___________________________