Global Education

From One Side of the World to the Other

by Chloey Mayo ’10
6_Russia_1Moscow, Russia is not known as a spring break hot-spot. Nevertheless, a group of Oglethorpe students, led by Dr. Ronald Bobroff, Russian historian and professor of Modern European History, journeyed this year to Moscow to spend their spring break working in one of the city’s many children’s homes.

Through a partnership with the Peacework Development Fund, Dr. Bobroff was able to design Oglethorpe’s first comprehensive, multi-disciplinary service trip to Moscow. “I was really looking forward to making this happen at Oglethorpe,” shared Bobroff, who has visited Russia many times. “Service is such an important part of who we are here…it just made sense.”

6_Russia_2The OU students were assigned a mathematics classroom in a Moscow orphanage to refurbish. With gloved hands, they spent a week scraping paint, spackling, and treating the walls. The students stayed in the children’s residences, eating borscht and shchi soups in the dining hall.

“It was certainly no five star hotel, but it was comfortable and well kept up,” said Beth Cleary ’12. “Our week there only taught us that the effort that went into the orphanage also went into making these kids into well-prepared, well-adjusted adults. We were simply short term visitors and we felt loved and appreciated the moment we walked in the door.”

For the past few years, the Russian government has campaigned to change the worldwide image of the Russian orphanage, as well as the basis behind the number of children in orphanages. As a result, the orphanages have begun to evolve, and the colorful walls, abundance of toys, and accommodating orphanage staff tell the story of an institution now well served—one that is a far cry from the stereotyped, underserved images of the past.

According to Dr. Bobroff, who authored Roads to Glory: Late Imperial Russia and the Turkish Strait, the Russian family has suffered from the cyclical effects of alcoholism, abandonment, and a failed economy for years. Official estimates reveal that there could be as many as one parent in each Russian household who suffers from alcoholism, rendering parents unable to care for their children and causing widespread abandonment. The Russian Education Ministry estimates that over one million children are housed in state institutions, and many more are living homeless on the streets. In Moscow, many orphanages are home to children who suffer from developmental and emotional disorders that can be traced back to alcohol abuse and long-term institutionalism.

6_Russia_4Oglethorpe’s students visited one of these orphanages that catered to children with special needs and learning disabilities. The orphanages operated under the philosophy that by getting a child’s hands working, the mind will follow. Most of the children’s free time was spent not in front of the television, but with various trades and crafts, teaching them to work with their hands and be resourceful.

“They are equipped with the skills to support themselves after they graduate from the orphanage program and some even go to technical school, “ noted Cleary. “But I would like to see if it is feasible to get some of these kids into college…It really hits home when you see these great kids and amazing sights and you realize that the reason you are even in [their] country is because of your own school. I’ve never felt limited in my endeavors, and I wish the same for them.”

6_Russia_5 “For me, this is more than an interesting or even educational spring break trip,” said Bobroff. “Every time I’ve ever been I’ve used it as an opportunity to research—to take away from Russia. But this time I’m giving back.”

Before leaving the United States, the student group raised funds to buy supplies for the renovation work. In fact, they successfully raised more than their goal, and presented the orphanage with a cash donation from the residual funds. Dr. Bobroff, who traces his roots back to Russia, plans to return to Moscow in another two years with a different group of students.

“It’s like cultural diplomacy in a way,” said Dr. Bobroff. “It is an important way for people to understand each other. The students visiting the orphanage and accumulating their own resources in order to get the job done shows that there are people who care about each other—from one side of the world to the other.”

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