RCS Haven E-Bulletin - August 2012

 

 

It’s August and the Edinburgh Festival season is in full swing, and there are literally thousands of shows, concerts and talks taking place throughout the city. In this E-Bulletin we have tried to highlight some of the most high-profile and exciting Russian events and performers from all the various festivals, as well as our usual round up of events listings across the rest of Scotland.

 

RCS Haven is welcoming anyone who is interested in studying Russian language, literature and culture.

Also, the Centre provides consultations in law, finance and other aspects of work and business in Russia and Britain.

 

Please note that our Russian and English language classes for adults will resume after the summer break on Monday 3rd September.

Russian school for children in Glasgow reopens on 25th August.

The school’s lessons will take place on Saturdays, at The Adelphi Centre, 12 Commercial Road, Glasgow, G5 0PQ. (Map)

Children may be enrolled in the school by telephone, on 0141 552 2144 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

 

 

The School of Russian Centre in Scotland "Haven" is the first Russian school certified to provide SQA  qualifications.

 

If you are thinking of a national qualification in Russian language - whether for personal and social activity, work and employment or to enter university - RCS Haven is the point of contact for you.

We are the first Russian Centre in Scotland certified to provide the following SQA (Scottish Qualification Authority) qualifications:

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    Regular events in Scotland

    Events in Glasgow

    Events in Edinburgh

    Events in the rest of Scotland

    Events in the rest of the UK

 

 

 

The job search facility on the RCS Haven website collects vacancies from British and Russian employers, and makes them searchable by keyword. It can be accessed by clicking here, but below is a selection of some of the wide range of jobs currently being advertised through the website:

1. Russian Speaking Administrator
This is an excellent opportunity for a Russian speaker to join an international non marine Adjusting division. You will be supporting the work of international adjusters working across all accounts but able to use your Russian language skills when more...

2. PHP Developer
PHP Developer/Programmer (Russian Speaking) London PHP developer/programmer required to join a fast growing company in central London. Must be Russian speaking with very basic English. An excellent chance to grow and progress in a fun and fast more...

3. eTraining Administrator - Fluent Polish or Russian
Our global client is currently seeking an eTraining Administrator to deliver their new online learning offering across Central and Eastern Europe. The role will facilitate the launch of the learning programme, help set up the service and train local more...

4. Russian Customer Service
An international client with a huge European Client base is looking for a native Russian Customer Service Representative to deal with the incoming calls from client wishing to place orders and have queries resolved. There will be occasions when more...

5. SAS Analyst - Russian Speaking / SAS / Retail / FMCG
SAS Analyst - Russian Speaking / SAS / Retail / FMCG My client is a leading marketing agency working with retailers and consumer goods businesses to deliver sales and margin improvements through developing and implementing a customer-centric more...

 

 

 

 

The following Scottish churches hold regular/semi-regular Orthodox services (all welcome):

Glasgow: The Parish of St. Kentigern (Russian Orthodox). Services held in Govan Old Church, 866 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 3UU.

Edinburgh: Orthodox Community of St. Andrew (a mixture of Orthodox faiths. Services held in the Chapel of St. Andrew, 2 Meadow Lane, Edinburgh, EH8 9NR.

 

Art lessons for children are undergoing in RCS Haven.

Under supervision of experienced teachers, a professional artist and a specialist in early development, children study the basics of drawing and painting, language development and drama. All children are welcome on Wednesdays from 5pm till 7pm. 

RCS Haven, 11 Duke Street, Glasgow, G4 0UL, Т. 0141 5522144

 

Restaurant opens: 6pm. Concert begins: 9pm. Tickets: £6.00 per person.

Cafe Cossachok, 10 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP. Bookings: 0141 553 0733

 

Classes for those who want to study Russian and English language.

Russian lessons on Mondays 5:30pm. English lessons on Saturdays 1pm.

Russian Centre Haven, 11 Duke Street, Glasgow, G4 0UL, [email protected]

 

Sharmanka are a unique and award-winning theatre group.

Their beautifully carved figures perform an incredible dance to haunting music and light, telling the funny and tragic stories of the human life and spirit.

Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, 103 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HD, Bookings: 0141 552 7080

 

Films in Russian with English subtitles. No booking required.

Scotland-Russia Institute, 9 South College St, Edinburgh EH8 9AA

T. 0131 668 3635

 

 

Sun 19 Aug 9pm

Violinist Lev Atlas presents Russian, Hungarian, Gypsy, jazz, classical and folk music

Café Cossachok, Trongate 103, 10 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP

t. 0141 553 0733

 

 

Fri 13 July – Sun 21 October

Sharp, funny, generous, iron-willed and passionate, Catherine the Great was one of Russia’s most successful rulers and one of the greatest art collectors of all time. Presented in partnership with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, this unique exhibition is only shown in Edinburgh.

Venue: Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. t. 0300 123 6789

 

Thu 2 – Mon 27 Aug

Circus in Hand is a show in which doll-trainers and animals, acrobats, jugglers and clowns appear from the bright patches of a circus tent. You'll step into your childhood: every object is alive and has its own character. Every act has a storyline and an unexpected outcome. Great for children and parents! Ages 3+.

Hand Made Theatre / Russian Season 2012.

Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9SU. t: 0131 226 0000.

 

Thu 2 – Mon 27 August

The legendary Do-Theatre, one of the most influential experimental theatre companies to emerge from post-Communist Russia, returns with one of the must see Fringe First winners from 2007. Hangman is a game and the personage in one. A trinity of the damned - the blind, deaf and dumb - performs a dance macabre of crime and punishment where the roles of victim and executioner are constantly swapped. It's a fusion of theatrical and dance form, combines elements from the Theatre of the Absurd and contemporary dance. The naivety of clown farce is enriched by the charming use of Black Humour.

Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9SU. t: 0131 226 0000 

 

Fri 3 – Sat 25 August

Her father is a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Her mother was in the Hitler Youth. What the devil is she…? A tale of strife and reconciliation - not necessarily in this order. Spanning three cultures and four generations, this solo show features the Russian Front, Holocaust bedtime stories and cross-cultural bridge games at the senior centre. An irreverent true story of one legacy of war and ethnic conflict. You are cordially invited to tea and swastikas… 'Poignant and insightful' (Huffington Post). 'A very funny, sharply written show. Your sense of irony will be doing back flips' (Marsh Theatre). Ages 12+.

43 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DR. t: 0131 556 0476

 

Sat 4 – Sat 11 August

David WW Johnstone's adaptation of Gogol's comic masterpiece about the charismatic scoundrel Chichikov (played by Robert Williamson), who buys the names of dead peasants to serve his own evil plans.

Scotland-Russia Institute, 9 South College St, Edinburgh EH8 9AA. t. 0131 668 3635

 

Sat 4 August - Sat 22 September

A selling exhibition featuring Evgeni Kazmin's paintings for monumental mosaic projects, Sochi, 1960-1980 and Vladimir Burov's 1960s paintings of Magnitogorsk, ''Steeltown USSR'' .

John Barkes has assembled an exhibition of about fifty of different works, illustrating the talent and originality of highly motivated artists working in hard turbulent times.
He described his collection when interviewed at a recent exhibition in Australia -link

Scotland-Russia Institute, 9 South College St, Edinburgh EH8 9AA. t. 0131 668 3635

 

Sat 4 Aug – Mon 27 Aug Mon–Sun 12.45–1.30pm
Part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Take time out in the museum's magnificent Grand Gallery and enjoy a daily programme of traditional and contemporary music from Scotland and around the world, featuring special Russian-themed performances to celebrate our Catherine the Great exhibition. All ages

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF, Box office: 0300 123 6789

 

Mon 6 – Sat 11 August

Disaster, redemption, forgiveness, perseverance. The greatest ecological disaster in American history occurred during the throes of one of the greatest economic disasters the world has known - the American Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Birds on a Wire is about an immigrant Russian-Jewish family living in Texas, displaying unbelievable resilience to stay and save their family farm from the ravages of dust, drought, grasshoppers, famine and death. The family learns to forgive each other, forgive an indifferent community and accept the aid of a community of friends. Hardin-Simmons University Theatre, Abilene Texas. All ages.

Hardin-Simmons University - International Collegiate Theatre Festival.

The Space @ Venue45, Edinburgh. t: 0131 226 0000

 

Sat 11 Aug 11am – 12pm

One of the main new exhibitions at the National Museum of Scotland puts on display the spectacular collection of Catherine the Great. Maureen Barrie worked with the Hermitage in St Petersburg to select the exhibition and Lesley Taylor has worked with her on the production of a sumptuous book to accompany it. Featuring art, extravagant costumes and precious gems, the book reflects on the opulence of the Russian imperial court. Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival

Charlotte Square Gardens, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DR. t:  0845 373 5888

 

Tatyana
Sat 11 - Tue 14 August 7.30pm

 A contemporary ballet interpretation of Aleksandr Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin. The Rio de Janeiro-based Deborah Colker Dance company transports Pushkin’s famous tale from 19th-century Russia to present-day Brazil. Soundtrack featuring music is by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

The Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, Old Town Edinburgh EH1 3AA, t: 0131 473 2000

 

Mon 13 August

If nothing else, Geoff Dyer is a polymath who likes to challenge himself. What other conclusion can you make when he subtitles his latest book, Zona, as ‘A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room’? The film in question is Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker which Dyer uses as the starting point for a meditation on cinema, love, life, a missing bag and, um, Jeremy Clarkson. Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival

Charlotte Square Gardens, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DR. t: 0845 373 5888

 

London Symphony Orchestra
Thu 16 - Sun 19 August

With a different program each night, the London Symphony Orchestra performs a variety of favorites composed by Szymanowski and Brahms. Conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2EA.  t: 0131 228 1155

 

Sat 18 August 2pm–4pm

Gather samples of Kandinsky's drawings and learn about his use of colour, then take part in painting activities based on the Kandinsky painting 'Squares and Concentric'. Suitable for children of all school ages.

Booking is essential, l£5 per child (materials included); accompanying adult free

Scotland-Russia Institute, Edinburgh, 9 South College St, Edinburgh, EH8 9AA. t: 0131 668 3635 

 

Sun 19 – Mon 27 August

Having lived half her life in the midst of Europe, a dance artist returns to Norway to discover that oil had turned her homeland into a place of great political interest and opportunistic investments. Regional cross-border dilemmas are present all over the world. Featuring a training programme, a Russian sister-in-law and Super tramp, it's time for action so get up and move! 'Liv Hanne Haugen has created a fantastic concept … surprising, thought-provoking and funny. It should bring people together' (iTromsø). Ages 12+.

Haugen Productions (Norway).

Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9DF. t: 0845 260 1234

 

Fri 24 August

One of the most exciting new names in pianism, young talented Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov has been praised for his astonishing technical command, his overwhelming energy, and his total absorption in his music. He performs pieces by three of his compatriots – Scriabin, Medtner, Guido Agosti, as well as Debussy and Chopin. Supported by The Inches Carr Trust.

The Queen's Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9JG. t: 0131 473 2000

 

A Midsummer Night's Dream (As You Like It)
Fri 24 - Sun 26 August

The world premiere of Russian Director Dmitry Krymov's interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Production by Dmitry Krymov's Laboratory and School of Dramatic Art Theatre Production as a part of the Chekhov International Theatre Festival. 

Performed in Russian with English supertitles.

King's Theatre, 2 Leven Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9LQ. t: 0131 529 6000

The Nutcracker
Sat 25 August 7.30pm
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performs the complete ballet score of one of the most famous Tchaikovsky’s best-loved works, the Nutcracker Suite. Conducted by Ilan Volkov.

Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2EA.  t: 0131 228 1155

 

Sat 25 August 1-2pm

After a good start in the 1990s and despite the increasing numbers of Russians living in the UK official UK-Russian relations ran into problems 10 years ago – with celebrated differences of opinion over Litvinenko, Berezovsky and Magnitsky, as well as the role of the British Council. Trade and FDI links with Russia lag behind those of many of our European neighbors as do cultural links. Why is this? Are there any prospects for change? And what part can Scotland play?

Free entry but booking essential - book online or phone 0131 348 5405. 

More information on booking, directions and creche facilities on www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk/17.htm

Committee Room 1, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, Edinburgh

 

Sat 25 August 2-4pm

Participants will start by gathering ideas from the life and art of the artists on display in the Scotland-Russia Institute exhibition “Soviet Grand Designs” and of the artist Kandinsky, whose work ranged from realism to abstract.
Painting activities will start by copying the chosen artist’s works and discussion of how to make different shapes, patterns and colour combinations by using oil pastel and watercolour.
Finally participants will have to make their own abstract work using the experience gained – in a relaxed and, as a result, creative atmosphere.
No experience necessary. Cost: £5 (incl. materials)

Tutor: Russian trained art teacher Svetlana Sinitsyna. A graduate of St Petersburg University, Fine Art Dept., Scotland-Russia Institute, Edinburgh, 9 South College St, Edinburgh, EH8 9AA. t: 0131 668 3635 

 

Myth and Enchantment
Sun 26 August  2.30pm

Part of the Edinburgh International Festival’s ‘Encounters’ series of discussion panels. Dmitry Krymov, director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It) joins writer Marina Warner and Wagner specialist Derek Watson to examine the roles of myth, fairytale and enchantment in our culture and creativity. Chaired by Susie Nicklin, Head of Literature for the British Council.

The Hub, 348-350 Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE.  t: 0131 473 2067

 

Sun 26 August

Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Human rights defenders and independent journalists in Russia face threats, harassment and attacks in Russia. Freedom of assembly and expression also come under attack. Today’s Book Festival authors read extracts from works by persecuted writers such as Galina Starovoitova, an outspoken Russian MP who was assassinated in 1998, and journalist Anastasia Baburova, shot dead in 2009 by a contract killer in Moscow. Reading today: Tom Bullough, Cynthia Rogerson, Natasha Farrant and Richard Milward. Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival

Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh, FREE 0845 373 5888 

 

Sun 26 August 7:00pm - 8:15pm

With the strong-man PR imagery and his shady KGB past, Vladimir Putin has been mocked, both internationally and increasingly within his own country, as a despot and a thief, ruling over a corrupt mafia state. But does the common Western characterisation of Russia hide a more complex reality? Russia remains one of the world’s more potent economies and its political influence is widespread. Might Putin’s reign yet turn out to be the best Russia could hope for? Russian experts Masha Gessen and MEP Struan Stevenson roll up their sleeves. Chaired by Allan Little.

The Guardian Spiegeltent

 

Mon 27 August 2.30pm
Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival

When the Kremlin decided it needed a more user-friendly image, it hired Angus Roxburgh and his New York-based PR firm. Now that he has left the employment of Vladimir Putin, Roxburgh’s insider perspective has given him a wealth of fascinating material on this man. In his insightful and balanced book, The Strongman, Roxburgh describes the Putin’s administration and its PR disasters, and explores what the future holds for the recently re-elected President. Part of Edinburgh International Book Festival

Charlotte Square Gardens, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DR. FREE 0845 373 5888 

 

Fri 31 August 9:00am - 5:00pm

The conference aims to bring together scholars who will collectively investigate the complex issues of the embedding of Russian in the social and cultural systems of Catherine’s Enlightenment.

The conference program and registration form are available from http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/dashkova/research-resources/current-research

University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LN

 

Thu 30 August – Sat 1 September
Grand classical ballet with a fresh contemporary twist, recounting the story of Charles Perrault’s classic fairytale. Performed by the Mariinsky Ballet with choreographic work of Alexei Ratmansky and Valery Gergiev as music director and conductor.

Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT. t: 0131 529 6000

 

 

Thu 2- Tue 7 August

Russian duo Ivanova and Nevyardovskaya on piano and vocals, with Kitaka, all-round showman – providing African traditions for the audience. Part of Aberdeen International Youth Festival.

At the following places

Aberdeen Fri 3 Aug 7:30pm. St Margaret's Church

Clatt Thu 2 Aug 7:30pm. Clatt Auld Kirk

Cults Tue 7 Aug 2pm. Cults Church

t: 01224 213800

 

 

Fri 3 August  7.30pm
An evening of Russian folk, Gypsy, Tango and Foxtrot music from 1930’s plus some very unique pieces written by Igor Outkine. Guaranteed to transport you from the fairytale Russian Steppes to the Gypsy Campfire, from streets of Argentine to Ballroom dance hall. Full of Russian soul and Gypsy Passion.

PUSHKIN HOUSE, 5A Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2TA. t. 020 7269 9770

 

Thu 23 August 6pm

Passionate  and dynamic Gypsy Jazz played by some of Britain's leading exponents of the style. Plus some Russian, Gypsy and Latin favourites (including Dark Eyes as sung by Igor in the David Cronenberg film 'Eastern Promises').

Djanogly Concert Pitch, Royal National Theatre Foyer

South Bank, London, SE1 9PX. t: 020 7452 3000

 

 

Thank you for reading this bulletin; we hope you have found it interesting, useful and enjoyable. If you have any news or events that you would like us to highlight in future editions, please contact us at the address below.