Events Calendar

This event will be hosted in person only. RSVP to attend. Please RSVP by no later than 9 am on October 1.

Despite a cash windfall due to higher oil prices in 2026, Russian government faces a multitude of economic, political and military challenges. What are the implications for internal politics in Russia, the war in Ukraine, Russia’s hybrid war against Europe, and the upcoming elections in European countries? What should US and Europe do to prepare for a weaker but a potentially more aggressive Russia in 2027?

Sergei Guriev is one of the world’s most authoritative scholars of Russian economy and politics and the tenth Dean of London Business School, a position he has held since August 2024. Professor Guriev is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), a Member of Group of Thirty, a Global Member of the Trilateral Commission, Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France, Ordinary Member of the Academia Europaea, and an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Economic Association. 

Before joining LBS as Dean and Professor of Economics, Sergei Guriev was the first Provost of Sciences Po in Paris (2022-24), where he has been a tenured professor of economics since 2013. In 2016-19, he was on leave from Sciences Po serving as the Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In 2004-13, he was the Rector of the New Economic School in Moscow. In 2006, he was selected a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

This event is co-sponsored by the NYU Department of Russian and Slavic Studies.

Recent works by Ukrainian-born artist Elena Kalman that reflect on moments of disruption and what endures beyond them

Kalman’s paintings depict landscapes, roads, and imagined environments marked by instability, including falling trees, fractured structures, and distant explosions, alongside images of water, sky, and terrain that persist. Created in a time shaped by war and ongoing global uncertainty, these works place scenes of rupture in direct relation to the natural world.

The artist writes, “My work is shaped by the tension between catastrophe and continuity, between the moments when the world seems to fracture and the deeper forces that endure beyond every crisis.”

Kalman received her Master of Architecture degree from the Moscow Architecture Institute, the birthplace of Russian Constructivism, and her undergraduate degree in art from the Kyiv Art Institute. She immigrated to the United States in 1979 and founded the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm Elena Kalman Architects in 1988. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States. Ukraine Defiant: Paintings by Elena Kalman, a series sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was presented at The Museum of Russian Art in 2023.

For fifty years, Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759–1828) shaped Pavlovsk Park into one of the most celebrated English-style landscapes in Europe, and into a political instrument. Though her position as a consort and later dowager empress was structurally precarious, Maria Feodorovna used garden design, planting, and architecture to build relationships, conduct diplomacy, and argue for causes ranging from the preservation of serfdom to the commemoration of Russia's victory over Napoleon. This talk draws on my new book to explore Pavlovsk as a primary source for understanding women's political agency at the Russian imperial court. Moving chronologically from Maria Feodorovna's arrival as Grand Duchess in 1776 through her decades as the garden's main patron, I trace how she navigated shifting relationships with Catherine II, Paul I, and Alexander I by using flowers, monuments, and diplomatic exchanges of exotic seeds to signal loyalty, mourning, fertility, and authority. I argue that green spaces, often dismissed as decorative or domestic, in fact gave elite women like Maria Feodorovna a rare channel for political voice, at a moment when few other avenues were open to them.

SPEAKER: Ekaterina Heath (University of Sydney)

SOBESEDNIK: Alexander Martin (University of Notre Dame)

The Museum of Russian Art is proud to present a solo exhibition by Mark Mednikov. The selection of thirty works from the artist’s private studio introduces the creative scope of a talented Minnesota-based artist and architect. Ranging from early Soviet-era drawings to recent oil paintings and photographs of buildings he designed, the show features remarkable artworks where the precision of architectural approach blends with the freedom of fine art.    

The artist’s background combines a rigorous academic foundation in fine arts with decades of experience working as an architect in Minnesota. Mednikov received his art education at the prestigious Repin Art Institute in Leningrad (Department of Architecture). The Department’s curriculum emphasized both architectural design and the fine arts. This unique combination of training would influence his creative vision throughout his life. 

Immigrating to the US in 1979, Mednikov has built his life in the Twin Cities, balancing his deep roots in classical European art education with local community life. His talent for combining artistic skill with architectural precision earned him recognition within the profession and led to a long career with Pope Associates, where he was Director of Design. His architectural projects include the Cargill administrative building in Minnetonka, the Department of Revenue building in St. Paul, and the St. Paul Monastery in Maplewood, to name but a few.

In recent years, Mednikov has devoted himself fully to painting. While he has explored various artistic styles, his mature work reflects a deep appreciation for realism and traditional craftsmanship. His admiration for Old Masters such as Zurbarán and Memling has led him to seek to capture the beauty of everyday objects with remarkable precision.The Museum of Russian Art is deeply grateful to Mark Mednikov for sharing his wonderful artwork for this exhibition. We also thank Liza Shturman for facilitating the organization of this exhibition.

Mark your calendars (Oct. 10 & Oct. 11) for a weekend of music and delicious authentic foods prepared by the parishioners of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Baltimore. Select from traditional beef stroganoff, shashlik, pelmeni, blinchiki, kielbasa, a variety of traditional breads, desserts and more! All home-made! * Dine-in, stay for the entertainment or take-out to enjoy at home later * Regular tours of historic church, dating back to the 1860's, learn about beautiful Icons Parish Kiosk will be OPEN! Visit the heritage gift shop filled with icons, books, folk decorations, souvenirs, and toys. When: October 10, 2026, Saturday, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm October 11, 2026, Sunday, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Visit https://www.russfest.org/ for entertainment schedule and latest information! Where: Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (near Johns Hopkins Hospital) 1723 East Fairmount Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231 See you at the Festival!

This exhibition of antiwar political cartoons includes recent works by renowned cartoonists from Ukraine and Russia created in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

The Russian Cultural Garden is excited to invite you to its first-ever Ivan Kupala celebration — a vibrant summer festival of Slavic traditions, sun, and nature. The program includes a market and traditional cuisine, contests for children and adults, a folklore performance, and special surprises.

Highlighting artists from Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, and Central Asia working in the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s.