The program is a collaborative initiative of multiple campus units and draws on the expertise of a dedicated group of educators and administrators.

Meet the people behind the program

Russian @ UW-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a top destination for students and scholars interested in Russian language and culture. Learn more about what makes UW-Madison a great place to explore the Russian-speaking world.

  • UW-Madison offers a wide range of courses related to Russia and other Russian-speaking countries, across multiple disciplines.
  • UW-Madison students have access to extensive networking opportunities with alumni, area specialists, scholars, and other visitors through frequent campus and community events.
  • A study abroad program with a Russian-language component are available in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
  • UW-Madison regularly offers intensive summer courses in first- and second-year Russian.
  • The Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic offers undergraduate majors in Polish and Russian, MA and PhD graduate programs in Slavic languages and literature, and instruction in a broad range of languages, literature, and cultures from the Slavic world, including CzechPolish, and Russian.
  • The Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia, a Title VI National Resource Center, is dedicated to research and training on the Eurasian region. CREECA administers an MA program in Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS), which provides interdisciplinary area studies training for emerging professionals and future leaders in business, development, government, journalism, law, publishing, and the military. CREECA’s undergraduate certificate in REECAS is a valuable addition to any major.
  • The Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition investigates second language learning and acquisition, bi- and multilingualism, second and foreign language teaching, and the relationship among language, culture, identity, and thought in diverse social contexts.
  • The International Learning Community (ILC) located in Adams Residence Hall includes an immersion floor for Russian, Russki Dom, for students who want to practice the language and experience Russian culture outside of the classroom.
  • The Russian Folk Orchestra, an official university performing and touring ensemble, welcomes anyone from the Madison community and provides members with an instrument, costume, and free music lessons.
  • The Wisconsin Center for Pushkin Studies includes a library collection containing more than 8,000 individually cataloged journal articles, monographs, and collections of articles dedicated to the study of the great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin and his era.
  • The Pushkin Summer Institute (PSI), an intensive, five-week residential pre-college program, introduces outstanding high school students to Russian language and culture through the life and works of Russian national poet Alexander Pushkin. Thanks to support from the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, participants of the PSI are also able to study abroad in Daugavpils, Latvia.
  • The Wisconsin Russia Project, an initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and administered by CREECA, brings together an array of UW-Madison academic departments, faculty, and scholars with social scientists from the Russian Federation to build on UW-Madison’s robust social science research.
  • The Language Institute provides a hub on the UW-Madison campus for education, research, advising, and outreach related to the study of human languages.
  • Intermarket, a specialty store located ten minutes from campus, offers Russian and East European groceries.
  • Artists, Singers, and Songwriters of Russia, an active community organization, regularly hosts public performances by Russian-speaking musicians and other artists for the broader Madison community.
  • Paul’s Pel’meni, a restaurant on State Street, serves beef- and potato-filled Russian dumplings with a twist.
  • Taste of Ukraine, a restaurant on Madison’s near East Side, serves Ukrainian and American cuisine.
  • Caspian Grill, a restaurant with two locations on Madison’s West Side, serves a variety of cuisines from East Europe and the Caucasus.
  • Madison Russian School, a non-profit school that teaches children and adults about Russian language and culture, has been part of the Madison community since 2003.
  • Russkii Stol, an ongoing informal gathering, welcomes community members wishing to speak or practice Russian.
  • Russian Educational Association connects Russian-speaking people, immigrants, children from inter-cultural families who are learning a second language, and all those who simply desire to be connected to, retain, or explore Russian culture.