Russian House

Students and faculty paint matroyshka selfies at the Russian House 2019 welcome party

Movie screening for Hipsters in the russian House

Abby Hinds ’21 and Robert Bui ’21 hold a big plate of shashlyk up before a Russian House common meal

Camden Moser ’20 takes a stab at bliny for a Russian House common meal

Visiting Instructor Valeria Witzig tells celebration attendees about the Russian holiday Maslenitsa

Russian House residents Camden Moser ’20, Abby Hinds ’21, and Taya de Graaf ’21 enjoy a classic Russian meal of homemade borsch with smetana (sour cream)

Some of the many Russian sweets you can try while living at the Russian House!

Students, faculty, and community members pose behind the Russian House by winter in effigy before burning it on Maslenitsa

Students and community members dressed up for kolyadki, which is when people go door to door in costumes to perform and get treats during the Christmas and New Year holiday season

Traditional New Year’s and Christmas food at the Russian House holiday party

Students try Russian New Year’s fortunetelling by closing their eyes and sticking a pin into a sheet with names to find their soulmate

Living in Russian House is a terrific way to improve your spoken Russian and to prepare for a semester in a Russian-speaking country. Located right next to the campus, the student residents practice Russian daily, have a common meal with housemates once a week, and participate in monthly film evenings or game nights. For the 2024-25 academic year, a student program assistant will live in the house to coordinate house activities and help with language proficiency.  The program assistant and student residents share responsibilities for cooking and housekeeping.  At Macalester’s Russian House, all are invited to come visit, relax, and chat with fellow students. Russian House sponsors a variety of dinners, films, cultural events, and student performances, all with the goal of helping fellow students better understand Russian culture and society.

Prerequisites: Sophomore status and at least one year of college-level Russian. Residents are encouraged to take one Russian course each semester they live in the house. Applications are available online at Russian House Application Form.

Applications for Fall 2023 are now closed and the house is full.  There is one opening for Spring 2024 and applications for Spring 2024 will be accepted starting in October. Applications for the 2025 – 2026 academic year will open in February 2025.