University of Virginia Library

Meet Ex-Counts, Ex-Peasants, Executioners

Russian Club Takes Capitol Excursion

The following article was written
by a member of the Russian language
class here and submitted by Ilya Wolston,
instructor of Russian.

On the evening of January
13, twelve Virginia Gentlemen
and one Canadian Mademoiselle
braved the path to Washington
D.C. through a frigidly Siberian
winter's night. Having completed
a traumatic three-hour drive and
a 1½ hour search of the back
streets of D.C., we came to our
destination, the Potomac Boat
Club at 3530 K St.

So arrived the Virginia delegation
to the annual celebration of
the old Russian New Year patronized
by what could most
adequately be called - the
Russian Establishment 1917-number
2.

A large table at the very front
of the assembly awaited the University
of Virginia gentlemen
and was marked boldly "University
of Virginia Delegation."
Many students and professors of
Georgetown, George Washington
University, Maryland, American
University and the Naval Academy
fraternized and conversed
with the Virginia outfit, who got
the VIP treatment all the way.

The "Virginia Delegation" was
organized, headed, and led by
Instructor Ilya Wolston of the
University's Slavic Department.
This evening was the result of
more than two months' effort on
his part to introduce some of his
students to the culture from
which their language study had
developed. Mr. Wolston has
taught Russian here for three
years and is the only native Russian
at the University - hence
his indomitable push for extracurricular
events with students.

The party itself was set in an
old room (which vaguely recalled
some of the more desolate scenes
from Doctor Zhivago) amid an
atmosphere of unbearably loud
quietude. When we arrived at
the party, the entertainment was
just to begin.

Two dancers, Ivan and Nadya,
performed many of the favorite
folk dances of Russia, all of
which revolved around the age
old question, "Will you?" and the
even older answer, "no."

The Russian nightingale opened
her throat (fed by what must
have been a huge pair of lungs)
and sang several songs. Although
many of us didn't understand
very much of the Russian, in
some way she was always able
to get her point across. Perhaps
the climax of the evening was
the organizer of the whole affair
and close friend of Mr. Wolston.
Many people have unknowingly
been introduced to Mr. Titoff
through the movie medium in
which he has often provided the
thunderous background for stampedes
and wars, and more often
the tender accompaniment for
Russian love scenes. Among his
repertoire was Lara's Theme from
Doctor Zhivago.

After the formalities of planning
the guests were free to eat,
drink, and mix. As we danced to
the nostalgic Russian music, it
was interesting to speculate as to
the real identity of one's partner-
ex-count, ex-peasant, ex-noble,
or executioner. We being
the few present not of Russian
extraction, the other guests were
most courteous and very interested
in us. As the evening progressed
and the vodka flowed
freely, so did the guests. The
result was a great inter-changing
of ideas and backgrounds, and
the ballalaika of Grusha Titoff,
an introduction to a basically
simple way of getting "up tight."

It was a source of pride to
most of us that it was our nation's
capital that afforded so
freely the one-night flourish of a
once simple culture now dominated
by quotas and the burden
of greatness. Fifty years and
several thousand miles have
separated us from a beautifully
simple culture perhaps lost forever
and yet propagated, however
sparsely, by this small group
of outstanding people. It was a
truly "intellectual, if harrowing,
experience."