Description

Siberia!

Exile? Bears? Bitter cold? That's just part of the story. This beautiful Siberian summer, you could live in a forest village where you just might interview the local witch, or film a part-Christian, part-pagan ritual down by the river.

That's what happens on a Russian folklore expedition - you are far more than a tourist. You run the recorder as villagers tell their tales and sing their ancient songs. Or you photograph a handwoven wall hanging, or diagram an antique costume. If you speak Russian, you may end up interviewing the village witch or a traditional healer, or collecting stories about the local spirits of forest and stream. If you don't speak Russian, regular stops for translation will keep you in the loop (and give the informants a chance to catch their breath).

This summer's expedition to Siberia starts in Moscow, where we'll board the storied Trans-Siberian Railway for a 4-day trip to Irkutsk. After a look at Irkutsk and a stay at Lake Baikal, we'll head for the remote Siberian village of Sulket. Under the direction of our experienced folklorist we'll document the traditional lore of this village which was founded by Belarusian settlers one hundred years ago and is inhabited today by their direct descendants. We'll live in a village house, eat village food and generally live village life. And when the collecting is done we'll return to Irkutsk, where the expedition officially ends.

The films and recordings you make will be more than just your souvenirs - they will live on in the folklore archive of the prestigious Gorky Institute of World Literature in Moscow, Russia. Your summer adventure will yield an invaluable store of information for folklorists, linguists and scholars of the future. And, of course, a treasury of memories for you!

Highlights

On past expeditions, our volunteers have recorded songs, learned how to tell fortunes, collected charms against the evil eye, and filmed everything from fertility rituals to commemorations of the dead. Volunteers can count on a visit or two to the banya (Russian-style sauna). They can also count on hearing the village version of the great changes of the 20th century - wars, revolutions, the coming of modernity.

In addition, the Trans-Siberian Railway and Lake Baikal are probably the two most famous features of Siberia, and our volunteers will experience them both!

Travel Types

• Homestay
• Language Immersion
• Volunteering
• Native Culture Studies

Qualifications

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old (younger children may be accepted when accompanied by a parent). They must be in good physical and emotional health, able to carry all their own luggage and adapt to life in a Siberian village (intermittent electricity, carrying water from a well, cuisine based on what is locally available, using pit toilets). Flexibility, patience and good teamwork skills a must!

Our working languages are Russian and English. No knowledge of Russian is required.

Languages

• English
• Russian

Cost in US$:

2,600 USD

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Registration fees
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The USD 2600 fee covers all costs for food, travel and housing for the duration of the expedition. Other expenses (souvenirs, travel to the rendezvous point in Moscow and travel home from Irkutsk), are the volunteer's responsibility.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Anthropology
• Arts
• Elderly
• Music
• Research

Typical Volunteer

Most of our volunteers are adventurous types from North America or Europe. Ages range from 18-80. Few have any background in Russian culture, language or folklore. Most speak English. For most this is the first trip to Russia. (Exceptions are our repeat volunteers, some of whom are on their sixth or seventh expeditions!).

Age Range

18 and older, younger teens with adult accompaniment

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 2-4

Application Process Involves

• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1 week

American Friends of Russia Folklore's Mission Statement

To support and promote American understanding of Russian traditional life and culture. To this end, AFRF supports a wide range of projects: field research, recordings, film making, archiving, and analysis of Russian folklore and oral histories.

Year Founded

2007