East Carolinian

Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: R.J. Webb

Russia doesn't make a personal connection to many, which is why two faculty members at ECU decided to create a photo exhibit of the country, called "Russia - Ancient and Modern," at Joyner Library.

Yelena Francis, a Russian language instructor, and Mark Sanders, head of reference at Joyner, wanted to share the culture of Russia with others.

"Our goal is to remind others of its [Russia's] cultural values," said Francis.

The exhibit is located on the first floor of the library by the reference desk. It includes 15 photos depicting different ancient and modern regions and cities in Russia. Francis, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, gathered photos from her friends and relatives back home, including one of her own in the exhibit. She took the picture one year ago in St. Petersburg near the Neva River. The different photos range from Russian monasteries to famous monuments and sculptures; one of which was a gift to Russia from the U.S. Even photos of popular Russian food make up the exhibit.

"I wanted to show the Mosaic of Russian cultural attractions," Francis said.

A display of books and albums were added to the exhibit by Sanders.

"I thought it was a great chance to partner with the foreign languages department to highlight a unique collection of materials," said Sanders, who also serves as a liaison between the library and Department of Foreign Languages.

Sanders selected items from a variety of media to target certain audiences. There are CDs, DVDs, children's books and reference titles that are all regional content.

The library displays several art exhibits throughout the year including a recent exhibit by ECU Art Professor and Sculptor Hanna Jubran. However, the Russian photo exhibit is the first of its kind.

Francis and Sanders are planning to create two more Russian photo exhibits in the near future.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for collaboration between academic departments and the library," Sanders said. "Also, the theme of Russia in transition is a very timely topic, especially given the recent events in Georgia."

For those wanting a deeper look into Russian culture, the Department of Foreign Languages hosts a Russian movie night every first and third Wednesday of the month in Bate 1025.

The exhibit is open to the public during library hours. Students as well as faculty are encouraged to come and "experience Russia."



This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com

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