This page:

Activities: participation in academic & public events
Activities: meeting & consultation with individuals & groups
Activities: media appearances
Activities: miscellaneous

* 1963-92 >  Organisation of and participation in Russian cultural & language clubs & groups -- including teaching Russian folk-songs and organising performances with balalaika: University of British Columbia (1963-65), Simon Fraser University (1965-67), Principia College (1978-81), University of Ottawa (1983-92, intermittently).

* 1968-70 >  Organising of Russian Section within the Ontario Modern Language Teachers' Association and conference panels on Russian-language teaching.

* 1974 >  Chairing two bilingual (French/English) seminars on "attitude" and "aptitude" in second-language learning at the Fifth Canadian Symposium on Applied Linguistics, University of Toronto.

* 1980 >  Conducting student group on three-week study tour (history & education) of five Soviet cities (Moscow, Smolensk, Minsk, Novgorod, Leningrad) for Principia College (Elsah, Illinois, USA); also informal interpreting during trip (February-March 1980).

* 1981-82 >  Participating in Russian Community Centre activities, including folk choir & balalaika orchestra, Vancouver.

* 1982 >  Poetry recitation at Pushkin Evening & Pushkin Competition, Pushkin Russian Language Institute (Moscow); also informally at 6 June public gathering on Pushkin Square, Moscow.

* 1982 >  Preparing Russian culture exhibit for Animation-Communautaire, University of Ottawa.

* 1983-84 >  Occasional introductions of Soviet films sponsored in part by the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, University of Ottawa.

* 1985 >  Organising student excursion to a Russian film at an Ottawa cinema.

* 1985-91 >  Organising & participating in Russian-language field trips (including interviews) to Canadian institutions (e.g., Parliament, Radio-Canada International, Museum of Science & Technology), in connection with language-training programmes for External Affairs (1985-89), as well as English-language field-trips for Soviet diplomatic trainee (1990) & Russian-speaking engineers (1991), the latter including an interview with the engineers and myself on CBO Morning radio.

* 1992 >  Assisting Peace Train Foundation in hosting Russian high-school students and teachers visiting Canada on a space-science exchange, including organising an excursion to a farm owned by a Russian-language student from the University of Ottawa.

* 1994 >  Participation in Marina Tsvetaeva poetry reading, sponsored by the University of Ottawa Slavic club, including reading of several of my translations of Tsvetaeva (November 1994).

* 1995 >  Participation in entertainment (poetry, folk-songs with balalaika) at Russian community gathering in Ottawa (August 1995).

* 1996 >  Assisting author Mikhail Levitin in preparing a production at the Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) entitled The Swan's demesne (on Mandel'shtam, Tsvetaeva, Pasternak and the 'Silver Age' of Russian poetry), including translating several poems for reading by professional actors.

* 1996-98 >  Public readings (with author Mikhail Levitin) from The Outcast's sonata: at poetry societies 'Tree' (August 1996); 'Bard' (Decmber 1996); 'Sprout' (March 1997); Chapters Bookstore (downtown Ottawa, August 1997; also formal book launch: October 1997); University of Ottawa Author/Translator Series (School of Translating & Interpreting, December 1998).

* 1997-- >  Regular sharings of Russian poetry (in both original & English translation) and music at Sasquatch Writers Performance Series, Ottawa, as well as occasionally at 'Tree', 'Bard', 'El Dorado' and 'Electric Garden' poetry societies.

* 1998 >  Poetry reading (in Russian) at Doukhobor Youth Festival (Castlegar, B.C., May 1998).

* 1998-99 >  Featured reader (in Russian & English), Sasquatch Writers Perfomance Series (November 1998 & December 1999).

* 1999 >  Organising & co-hosting of two-hour evening Aleksandr Pushkin bicentenary celebration, National Library of Canada (6 June 1999), co-sponsored by the Slavic Research Group and Sasquatch Writers Performance Series) -- including reading Pushkin's poetry in both original and translation, and singing an aria from Tchaikovsky's opera Evgenij Onegin (based on Pushkin's novel in verse of the same name).  Also (earlier that same day): participation (through reading & singing) in a Russian-language celebration at the Pushkin Russian-Canadian Cultural Centre of Ottawa.

* 2000 >  Participation in poetry reading at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa (March 2000).

* 2001 >  Co-organising of & participating in University of Ottawa student concert at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa (March 2001).

* 2001 >  Performance (vocal, balalaika & piano) of Russian music & poetry at Carleton University Russian concert sponsored by Canadian Friends of the Hermitage (November 2001).

* 2002 >  Chairing session of Slovak conference, University of Ottawa (June 2002).

* 2003 >  Performance (vocal, balalaika & piano) of Russian music & poetry, Jewish Community Centre, Ottawa (June 2003).

* 2004 >   Featured reader (in Russian & English), Sasquatch Writers Perfomance Series (January 2004, December 2004).

* 2004 >  Participation in preparations for Russian art exhibit by Igor' Soldatenkov in Gatineau, Québec (May 2004). 

* 2005 >  Participation in Sasquatch video "A mighty dream" produced by Jeremy Wright for Sasquatch Literary Arts Performance Series (along with 15 other poets).

* 2006 > Participation in book launch for collection The third shore, Senate Room, University of Ottawa (April 2006).

* 2006 > Participation in exhibition of books published by the Slavic Research Group, New Residence Lounge, University of Ottawa (November 2006).

NEW: * 2007-08 > Featured reader (in Russian & English), Sasquatch Literary & Arts Performance Series, Ottawa (February 2007 & October 2008).

NEW: * 2008-09 > Guest reader / speaker on 'Lightworkers' telephone conferences hosted by Ms Carol Davis for readers of the Ringing Cedears Series (February, March, April, May, September, October & December 2008 and June & September 2009).  See esp. Pushkin presentation (6 June 2009) and Sadovsky & Gurt presentation (19 September 2009).
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* 1979-81 >  Hosting Russian-speaking visitors to Principia College (Elsah, Illinois, USA).

* 1982-- >  Meetings with Russian scholars & cultural delegations visiting the University of Ottawa (including Andrej Sakharov, Elena Bonner, Lidija Gromova, Galina Galagan, Svetlana Inikova, Maja Petrukhina, Vadim Koleneko & many others).

* 1988-92 >  Liaison with Soviet (& later Russian) embassy in Ottawa regarding film presentations for University of Ottawa students, including preparation of film summaries in English.

* 1990 >  Visit to USSR (Moscow & Leningrad), including contacts with the Pushkin Russian Language Institute, the Russian language department of the Moscow Pedagogical Institute, the Russian & English language departments of the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of External Affairs, and the Djuny Russian-language summer school of the University of Leningrad, as well as theatre & cinema visits (February-March 1990).

* 1990 >  Invitation to participate in a special conference on future directions in language learning held in Moscow (June 1990), sponsored by the Soviet Association of Collective Contribution to Language Learning, co-chaired by Prof. A.A. Leont'ev of the Moscow Pedagogical Institute & Prof. H.-E. Piepho of Gießen University (Germany).  (Unfortunately, this invitation had to be declined for financial reasons.)

* 1990 >  Meeting with visiting Russians (diplomatic trainee, Moscow theatre director) and arranging contact with them for students in Russian conversation course.

* 1991-94 >  Consultation with Russian émigrés in Ottawa & Toronto -- including: former Gosteleradio correspondent Vadim Fotinov, cinematographer Jan Topper, writer-engineer Mikhail Levitin, encyclopaedia editor Sergei Venetsky, Vesti editor Arkady Turin -- on a variety of academic topics.

* 1992-93 >  Consultation with Prof. Samuel Cioran at McMaster University (Hamilton) on new audio-visual materials for Russian-language teaching.

* 1996 >  Informal meetings with Slavists in the UK: Michael Holman at Leeds University, Reginald Christian at the University of St-Andrews, and Gareth Williams at the University of Wales (Swansea).

* 1996-2002 >  Informal meetings with Slavists in America (Phoenix, Ariz.): Lee Croft (at Arizona State University, on several occasions) and April Bumgardner (Doukhobor researcher, May 2002).

* 1998 >  Meetings with Doukhobor leaders (May 1998) in Vancouver and Castlegar (B.C.): Alex & Natasha Jmaeff, Peter Riazantseff, Dmitri (Jim) Popoff, Il'ja (Eli) & Dorothy Popoff, John J. Verigin Sr, John J. Verigin Jr, Fedor Vanzhov, Peter Gritchin, Steve Lapshinoff, as well as with visiting Yasnaya Polyana Director Vladimir Il'ich Tolstoy .

* 1998 >  Liaison with scholars at academic institutions in Russia (September-October 1998): L.N. Tolstoy Museum in Moscow (Tat'jana Nikiforova, Natal'ja Kalinina); Moscow University: Faculty of Foreign Languages (Ljudmila Krasnova, Ljudmila Minaeva); Tolstoy World Language Institute (Aleksej A. Leont'ev), Pushkin Russian Language Institute (Vitalij Kostomarov, Vladimir Annushkin); Tolstoy Museum-Estate at Yasnaya Polyana (Vladimir Tolstoy, Galina Alekseeva); as well as meetings a the Canadian Embassy in Moscow (ambassador Anne Leahy, trade councillor Jennifer Rosebrugh).

* 1998-- >  Informal consultation with Slavic scholars at meetings of the Canadian Association of Slavists (annually as part of the Congress of the Humanities & Social Sciences).

* 2001 >  Consultation with Russian liaison personnel at Headquarters of The First Church of Christ Scientist (Boston, USA) on Russian-language periodicals and radio programmes.

* 2003 >  Liaison with scholars at academic institutions in Russia (August-September 2003): Anna Dmitrievna Plisetskaja, professor-translator & Head of Foreign Languages Division, Institut zhurnalistiki i literaturnogo tvorchestva [Institute of Journalism and Creative Writing], Moscow; Lidia Dmitrievna Gromova, former Head of Russian Classical Literature at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of World Literature; Valerij Aleksandrovich Aleksandrov, senior scholar, Institute of World Literature; Galina Vasil'evna Alekseeva, Head, Academic Research Division, Tolstoy Museum, Yasnaya Polyana; Elena Dmitrievna Meleshko, Professor, Philosophy Faculty, Tolstoy University of Tula; also with visiting UK Slavist Sarah Hudspith of Leeds University. 

* 2003 >  Liaison with Russian Canadianist (August 2003 in Moscow & October 2003 in Ottawa): Vadim Aleksandrovich Koloneko of the Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
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* 1964 >  Brief radio interview by Radio-Canada (in French) in connection with my brief to the Royal Commission on Bilingualism & Biculturalism (see 'Talks, papers & briefs' on my Academic publications page).

* 1986 >  Participating in video-report by A. Mel'nikov for Soviet TV news programme Vremja, on Russian-language teaching at the University of Ottawa.

* 1991 >  Participation in brief TV interview (together with a colleague) for Radio-Canada (in French) on the possible consequences of the August 1991 coup in the USSR.

* 1996 >  Participating in radio interview (together with Koozma Tarasoff) by Peter Gzowski,CBC Morningside, on the topic of Peter Verigin & the Canadian Doukhobors (January 1996).

* 1999 >  TV interviews in connection with the Doukhobor Centenary Conference for (a) Vision-TV programme Skylight (in English); (b) Tokmakov Productions programme Morning Waves (Toronto) (in Russian); (c) community channel programme Russian Mosaic (Ottawa) (in Russian).

* 2005 >  Interview with Tim Lougheed for the University of Ottawa Gazette (to appear later in 2005), in connection with my translation of Anastasia & the Ringing Cedars Series of books by Siberian Author Vladimir Megre.
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* 1982 >  Numerous visits to theatre performances & cinema showings, Moscow (March-June 1982); also on subsequent visits to Russia (1990, 1998, 2003).

* 1983-2000 >  Hosting students at home for evenings of Russian food & entertainment.

* 1987-94  Designing of both Cyrillic & Latin dot-matrix fonts for Macintosh computer.

* 1989-93 >  Weekly café breakfasts with Russian-language students at the University of Ottawa (for language practice).

* 1989-- >  Daily recording & editing of TV news clips (mostly CBC, but also including CTV, BBC & World Monitor) on events in Russia & the former USSR, Eastern Europe, China & Cuba (for personal reference).

* 1991-- >  Writing original poetry in Russian (more than 80 poems written to date).  For a list of published poems please see my Poetry & music page).

* 1992-93 >  Coaching of graduating music student at the University of Ottawa on the pronunciation & comprehension of Tchaikovsky songs & aria.

* 1999-- >  Attendance at occasional Russian-language theatrical events in Ottawa.

* 1999-2002 >  Occasional teas & social events with Russian-language students at the University of Ottawa (for language practice).

* 2000 >  Compiling collection (sbornik) of own poems, parodies & translations, at the invitation of the Russian Embassy in Canada, to be presented to Ljudmila Aleksandrovna Putina (wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin) on the occasion of her visit to Ottawa (see Sbornik on my Poetry & music page for a table of contents).

* 2001 >  Recording of Russian translation of three poems by Miroslava Linda Sabbath accompanied by piano improvisations.

* 2002 >  Recording of Russian folk songs with balalaika (informal recording facilitated by Igor Egorov).  Recordings may be heard elsewhere on this site (click here).

* 2005 >  Design of posters advertising Sasquatch poetry sessions, incorporating works of art by Susan Keyes Woodsworth.  Current poster may be seen on the Sasquatch website.
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