RAJI: On Location in Rostov, Russia (Year 4)

This year we’re a group of 14 Russian students, 2 American students and 5 Russian student translators. This blog will keep you updated on our collective activities during our one month together in Rostov-on-Don.

Our participants this year are:

Russian Students
Tanya Atiskova
My name is Tanya and I live in Rostov-on-Don. I love this city! My profession is journalism, but it’s more than just a profession, it’s my lifestyle. I want to know everything and have all the answers to life’s questions. My dream is to see the whole world and to live in every city for two, maybe, three years. I have two phrases, which are my mottos in life: 1) Your life is in your hands and 2) The greatest power is laughing. Whether you want to cry or laugh, just laugh.

Bella Baranova

My name is Bella and I’m 24 years old. I study at the Rostov State University in the Department of International Journalism. I’m always asked why I chose to study journalism. This is a good question and the answer is that I’m never too sure why, but at the time I wanted to do something I had never done before. I had never thought about being a journalist before, but now I know this is what I want to do. Call me a hopeless idealist, but what excites me about being a journalist is a belief in the power of the media to affect positive change in society. In my opinion the Russian-American Journalism Institute is a great chance to learn more about International journalism. Speaking frankly, I’m really glad to have an opportunity to take part in this project. As for my hobbies, the most precious is sleeping (whole the day). Besides this I also like traveling, sports, restaurants, long walks. My dream is to travel all over the world and to study the culture of different countries.

Nastya Chuzhmakova
My name is Nastya Chuzhmakova. I am 19. I am a student at Stavropol State University in the journalism department. I like music and play the piano and the guitar. I was selected to participate in this program and I appreciate that my teachers are helping me to become a professional journalist. I like studying the history of journalism. In future I plan to continue studying journalism theory, but now I work as a freelance journalist for our state newspaper. I like the profession of journalism very much. I’m also interested in video and have had a chance to work with this medium in the RAJI program.

Larisa Dzhelaukhova

My name is Larisa. I am a student in the foreign languages, literature and journalism departments of Rostov State University. Now I am participating in the summer Russian-American Institute of Journalism. I have become acquainted with American students and we are sharing our experiences as journalists. We often write articles in Russian and even in the English language. In my opinion it’s very good practice for me. I have also tried broadcast journalism, interviewing different people on the street. Now I want to try photojournalism too. I haven’t decided exactly where I would like to work, but I hope to work on serious television and in serious magazines. When I have spare time, I like to spend it with my friends and relatives in clubs and cafes I also like to travel and collect souvenirs, such as bracelets and jewelry, from different countries. I also enjoy visiting museums and theatres. I think observing, communicating with people and reading books can develop me both as a person and a journalist.

Alex Kozhanov

My name is Alex. I’m 20 years old and I’m studying at Rostov State University. I don’t feel like a journalist, you know… It’s hard to explain… I’m not a professional. This project is wonderful! It’s not a joke or anything. I’m very lazy, but RAJI makes me serious. Another thing you should know is that I like English even though I speak badly. I think the American dialect is so sweet! It was a surprise for me that I understand almost everything! I’m overusing exclamation marks, but I have many good impressions about last week.

Marina Lubenko

My name is Marina. Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in TV and movies. I study at Rostov State University in the department of TV journalism. I also am involved in the student theatre, where I shoot and edit film. The field of journalism gives me a great opportunity to create something new - and it’s a way to become a famous artist. In this way I can combine what interests me with a profession that provides economic stability. I don’t want journalism to become a boring craft. That’s why I’m always trying to discover the unusual in usual things.

Julia Lyashenko

My name is Julia and I am 21. I am a student of the Romance- Germanic Department of the Rostov - on - Don State University. I live in Krasnodar, which is a beautiful city on the Kuban. I like to meet new people, that’s why I decided to become a member of the project this year. I considered it to be rather interesting and exciting to make articles and reports, to meet new people, to see new places. I’m also glad that I managed to meet Amy and Ruthie, they are very pleasant girls and are very interested in journalism. In my opinion, it is very good that they are going to write about Russia and about Rostov as well - many people in New York will learn something interesting about our city.

Anastasia Osipova

I am in the 4th year of study at Rostov State University. Journalism is the rhythm of my life. I want to travel all over the world and create great material about people and their destinies. I prefer feature and analytical stories to hard news. I think journalism helps people like no other profession. Every step in life is a choice.

Olga Osipova

I’m a typical representative of “Homo Stavropolikus.” This means that I have beauty, brains and a bit of an idealistic image of myself. I managed to get to Rostov thanks to my favorite teachers, who undoubtedly want me to become a good journalist. As for my professional experience I worked as a volunteer for the press services in Stavropol, in the southern region of Russia. I wrote for the head of the Stavropolian region and worked in the most famous Russian corporation, “Gazprom.” I expected to meet conceited and snobby people, but I met very gorgeous and nice people instead. I was really surprised, but not disappointed.

Yulia Partolina

I’m Yulia. I’m 20 years old and a student in the International Journalism department. My motto is to get from the life all that I can. That is the main reason I’m here, in the RAJI program. I can’t say that journalism is my life style and the main aim of all my being, because I am still learning, searching and making new revelations for myself. These revelations are not always pleasant. During RAJI I have discovered to TV journalism, and it is great! I really want to learn and practice it more. Also I am a veritable patriot and want to make my Motherland better. So, about me – I love reading, dancing, sleeping, spending long evenings with my grandmother, bowling, watching soccer matches and even crying sometimes. It will really take a lot of time to mention everything, because I just love to live!

Daria Shlyakhina

My name is Dasha. I’m a 20-year-old idealist. I believe that every person can change the world for the better. My motto is do your best and you’ll never miss the opportunity to help the world and develop yourself. Journalism for me is a way of life. It has advantages like organizing your time the way you want, which is very important for me because I’m not very disciplined. I like to travel and meet different people and journalism is a way to combine my profession with my life. In this way I understand the world better.

Ella Zolotukhina

My name is Ella and I am 20 years old. I am a student in the Romance-Germanic Department of the Rostov State University. I know English and German languages. I decided to be a member of this project because I entered the University of Russian and German Public Journalism this year. I am very interested in journalism. I think that this profession develops communication skills and that it is really very exciting to be a journalist as you are always in motion - it’s a dynamic profession. A journalist is nearly the first person who receives the information, he/she has the opportunity to communicate with different, often exciting and unusual people. A journalist visits different parts of the world and while writing a story may live the lives of different people, professions, nations.

American Participants
Ruthie Ackerman

Ruthie Ackerman is an NYU journalism student who has travelled and worked around the world from Malawi, Africa to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now she has found herself in Rostov-on-Don, Russia where she is reporting on stories and running workshops with Russian journalism students. With the help of her translators Ruthie has had the opportunity to work on stories ranging from the Miss Rostov beauty competition to the new curfew for teenagers being enforced by police in Rostov. So far Ruthie’s favorite part of the city is Gorky Park, with its amusement park, beer garden and people watching.

Amy Becker

I have just completed my first year of graduate school at NYU’s journalism department. I jumped at the chance to take part in RAJI so that I could return to one of my favorite countries (I studied in St. Petersburg 5 years ago) and consume some of my favorite consumables, including blini, borscht and, of course, vodka. After working on some self-esteem-destroying stories here (i.e. the modeling competition), the vodka particularly has come in handy. Overall, I’m excited to work with my Russian colleagues, to exchange ideas about journalism and to learn more about the wonderful city of Rostov.

Instructors
Natalia Abramova

Natalia Abramova is a Russian documentary film, TV and radio journalist who has produced many prize-winning films, television, and radio projects focusing on global, civic, and cultural issues. As a director and senior editor in the Saratov office of the Russian National Broadcasting Company, she created weekly documentary, radio and TV programs sponsored by the American foundation, Eurasia. Then she worked as a TV journalist at the National Broadcasting Company “Voice of America”, the Russian Service. In 2004-2005 she was a participant of one prestigious international a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.

Natalia is graduated from Moscow State University, the Department of Journliasm and Saratov State University, the Department of Foreign Languages. She studied at the University of Maryland College of Journalism. Currently she is a PhD student at Leipzig University, Germany, doing a research on “Global Journalism, The West and the East: in Search of Common Ground.”

Alla Bespalova

Alla Bespalova graduated from Rostov State University in 1979. She finished post-graduate studies in 1992 with a doctorate degree in journalism. She presented and defended her thesis “The Formation and the Development of Domestic Audio-Verbal Mass Media” in Rostov State University under the supervision of Professor Evgeny Kornilov.

Since 1979 she has worked as a teaching assistant, lecturer and assistant professor of the Department of History of Journalism of the School of Philology and Journalism. She serves as head of the Department of International Journalism.

Professor Bespalova has extensive experience with New York University and Dortmund University. After training at NYU, she created a course “Reporting” based on American journalism education for the students of the Department of International Journalism. Also, she created courses “Empirical Research of the Modern Russian Press ” and “Skill of the Domestic Publicists.” She is also the organizer and executive director of a joint project with Dortmund University.

Maria Kolesnikova

Maria Kolesnikova is a freelance writer and - most recently – managing editor for Russian Life magazine ( www.russianlife.net). Before becoming a full-time journalist, she taught in the Faculty of Philology and Journalism of Rostov State University and worked as freelance translator. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and Ph.D in media studies from Rostov State University. She’s written for New Scientist, BBC Online and other publications.

Julia Savenkova
Julia Savenkova is a post-graduate student at Rostov State University in the School of Philology and Journalism. She is the managing editor of “Kaktus,” a weekly magazine devoted to arts, culture, entertainment, and politics for young people. In 2003 she traveled to Ithaca College to study print journalism and teaching methods.

Vitaly Vinichenko

Vitaly Vinichenko received his master’s degree in journalism from the School of Philology and Journalism at Rostov State University and was awarded his doctorate in journalism in 1995 for research devoted to the history of the International Herald Tribune. He serves as the deputy to the dean of the School of Philology and Journalism for information technologies.

Translators
Anush Akopjan

Hi, my name is Anush. I am a 21-year-old Armenian girl, living in Russia. I study at Rostov State University, in the Romance-Germanic department. My second languages are English and German. This year I have entered the Free Russian-Germanic Institute of Journalism. I think that the profession of an interpreter gives you an opportunity to expand horizons and learn more about the world around us. This job is rather a difficult one, as you should bridge the gap between people of different cultures and at the same time stay inconspicuous. This summer has given me a chance to meet such wonderful girls as Amy and Ruthie and I hope that we will keep in touch in the future.

Elena Anpilogova

My name is Elena Anpilogova. I’m a fifth-year student of the Department of Romance and Germanic Languages at Rostov State University. This year I’ve had an opportunity to practice the English language (my first foreign language) working as an interpreter at the Russian-American Journalism Institute. Besides this valuable experience it also means acquiring some knowledge in journalism, in which I’m really interested, and communication with our remarkable guests from the USA - Amy and Ruthie.

Yana Kolomenskaya

Hi! My name is Yana. I work as a translator for two very pretty and skeptical girls from New York - Amy and Ruthie. One of them, Ruthie inspired me to write what I would do if I had a million dollars. Well, I would buy as many shoes as I could, go to America and fly around the Statue of Liberty on a helicopter. I have to work hard studying foreign languages and economy simultaneously at Rostov State University to make my dreams come true. I adore photography, retouching, layout, publishing and design. And definitely music! I like to travel very much, especially when these travels are spontaneous. So if you want you can come up to me and ask me to go with you anywhere you want and I’ll join you!!