HSE’s ‘Oriental Crazy Day’ Marks its Sixth Year

Asian board games, calligraphy, origami, fortune telling based upon the Chinese Book of Changes (I Ching), and a traditional Japanese kabuki theater performance—these were just some of the activities in which students could participate on Oriental Crazy Day. Organized by students and professors of the School of Asian Studies in the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, the annual event was held this year as part of the ‘Asian and African Studies’ programme Open House Day.

On Oriental Crazy Day, HSE students convey their love for the East to prospective students through song, dance and theater performances. As Professor Yulia Korovina, head organizer of the event and professor of Japanese language in HSE’s School of Asian Studies, noted, an important characteristic of eastern culture is its traditionalism.

We wanted to start a new tradition at HSE that would bring together everyone who is interested in the East. And it looks like we succeeded—Oriental Crazy Day is now in its sixth year

It was the School of Asian Studies Head Aleksey Maslov’s idea to call the holiday ‘Oriental Crazy Day’. ‘The name, of course, is meant to be funny,’ says Yulia Korovina. ‘However, Asian Studies involves immersing yourself in a rather profound way into a culture that is very different from Russian culture. Eastern culture requires a high level of tolerance and the ability to apprehend a world that is different from the one you know. It entails going a bit “crazy”.’

Oriental Crazy Day is a lively celebration in which instructors and students alike participate. Students of eastern languages (Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Arabic) and their respective areas all organized activities, which took place in the school lobby. The event concluded with a big concert put on by the students—a performance that was the culmination of many months of painstaking rehearsals and preparation.

Over the past six years, the event has expanded considerably. A student team in charge of decorating the event site has been formed, and live sessions with students currently studying abroad have been added to the event programme. For some time now, HSE lyceum students of eastern languages and area studies have also participated in the event.