Exploring the Spirit of Tradition: Russian Culture Day at HSE Moscow
Each year, the Higher School of Economics holds one of its most awaited campus events: the Russian Culture Day, a festivity aimed at discovering and celebrating the country’s splendid cultural heritage. This year’s celebration in the Moscow campus, transformed, as usual, the university’s main atrium into a dynamic montage of colors, quizzes, sounds, and flavors, gathering together international students from various countries and backgrounds alongside Russian students. It became a day dedicated to showcasing traditions, promoting dialogue, cultural exchanges, and achieving a cross-cultural understanding.
The initiative’s main aim was to emphasize the diversity within the Russian culture, something that is usually overlooked by visitors, as well as to invite both local and international students to take a closer look at Russia’s history, arts, and magnificent customs. Posters around campus invited everyone to “travel through the soul of Russia,” and the event delivered on that promise. In the early hours it was possible to see the preparation, carried out by volunteers, who responsibly fulfilled the mission of decoration and setting the ambience in the main atrium.
Capturing the energy of the celebration
The place quickly filled with activity after it officially opened. It was possible to see pictures of famous Russian personalities everywhere, quotes, well-known paintings, and banners in the colors of the Russian flag, as well as other traditional ornaments. Each stand introduces visitors to something unique: traditional costumes, crafts, music, quizzes on culture, as well as regional dishes. The sound of folk instruments, such as the balalaika and the accordion, filled the air, merging with laughter and lively conversations in multiple languages. For many international students, especially freshmen and those in the Preparatory year, it was their first chance to experience the complexity, richness and depth of Russian traditions outside of textbooks or museums.
One of the most popular attractions was the crafts stand, where participants could try their hand at making and decorating small wooden souvenirs. Volunteers and organizers kindly assisted every visitor and explained the symbolism and meaning behind each handmade craft.
Adjacent to the craft stand, there was a long row of other small sections with quizzes that the participants could complete. In the literature stand, students were supposed to read some facts about the life of Russian authors and guess who was the information about. Emblematic personalities from the Russian literary world such as Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Esenin and Mayakovsky were the main ones to guess from. Similarly, the geography stand offered visitors a huge map of Russia and pictures from some important landmarks so that participants could locate them geographically. The pictures illustrated places such as the Peterhof Palace, the Lake Baikal, the Motherland Calls sculpture in Volgograd, the Kazan Kremlin, wonders of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Ural Mountains, among others. Another stand encouraged visitors to carefully observe pictures of traditional Russian dishes such as beef Stroganoff, the Olivier and Fish under the fur salads, and then try to guess all the ingredients needed to cook such customary recipes.
As a reward for participating in every quiz, the students got a stamp that gave them the rights to eat for free in the amazing culinary section, which offered visitors a taste of regional specialties, especially home baked pastries, each accompanied by a short note describing its name and ingredients. The event’s organizers explained that sharing food is one of the most universal ways to build community, and that this element of hospitality has always been an essential part of the Russian national identity.
For those interested in music there was also the opportunity to learn how to play the balalaika and the accordion. Many curious international students gathered in a big crowd to see the small master classes delivered by friendly experts. And of course, one of the favorite attractions was dressing up with beautiful “kokoshnik” and “ushanka” hats to take pictures in the photo booth section that displayed the name of the event and a commemorative design for the occasion.
As the afternoon progressed, many attendees gathered around the food section, which was adorned with golden samovar and what remained of the delicious food. International students from all over the world and locals exchanged personal stories, impressions and interesting facts over cups of hot tea and plates of pirozhki. It was possible to hear discussions on the similarities and differences between Russian customs and their own. Conversation topics ranged from cultural festivals and traditions back home to the common challenges and experiences while living and studying in Moscow and abroad. The atmosphere was extremely lively, respectful, inclusive, and full with genuine curiosity.
Beyond the entertainment, Russian Culture Day also served an educational purpose since these activities helped bridge the gap between entertainment and learning, showing that cultural exploration can be both enjoyable and intellectually engaging.
Why events like these make a difference
The Russian Culture Day is not the only event of these type that the HSE holds every year, however, it is definitely one of the most memorable and important ones when it comes to promoting cultural awareness and appreciation. Many international students come to Russia with doubts and uncertainties dur to what they have been told about the country. That is why, in an era where misinformation and surface-level impressions are constantly being promoted online, such events help international students to understand the real soul of Russia and move beyond stereotypes and fake news. They gather both, locals and visitors in a common cross-cultural exchange lead by respect and constant learning about each other’s.
Additionally, these experiences help building a sense of shared community and strengthen the bond between students. This is especially true for international students, who usually struggle to connect and build close relationships with locals. However, by introducing them to relevant aspects of the Russian culture, they can understand better the national identity and integrate much easier. At the same time, by learning about other cultures, Russian students develop intercultural communication skills and empathy, which are essential in a globalized world.
Finaly, events like these combine education and entertainment, definitely enhance the campus and academic life, and remind students the importance of attending nonacademic events and taking part in extracurricular activities, in order to make the most of their educational experience. Events like this show how learning does not have to happen always in a classroom, within a lecture or because of a professor. Learning can always take place beyond the formalities of the academic life, since we are able to learn from social interaction and new social experiences as well.
Russian Culture Day at the university felt as something much deeper than an annual celebration; it felt as the clear reflection of how culture binds people together. Through quizzes, food, art, and interesting dialogues, the vent was once again, a proof that traditions are not always barriers, they can also become bridges and ways through which people from dissimilar corners of the world can learn from one another. In a time when cultural exchange, tolerance and mutual understanding hold an enormous importance, such events remind us that cross-cultural bonding is possible only through respect, curiosity and patience.
As students left the event that late afternoon, carrying painted souvenirs and empty tea cups in their hands, they carried something else too: a deeper appreciation for the country hosting their studies, and for the shared human stories that connected them all.
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