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THE GROUP WAS THERE FOR TWO WEEKS of intensive language study and one week of tourism in and around Moscow and St. Petersburg. As a 1990 graduate with memories of visiting the U.S.S.R. and a participant of the only cadet exchange between the two superpowers, I was excited to be returning to a country that has seen much adversity, yet is changing in ways completely unimaginable a short ten years ago. |
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CDTs Patrick Ladner and Curis Dodos (both ’03), CDT Matt Rowe ’04, Professor Anatolii Leonov, CDT Krystian Derda ’04, and 2LT Molly Harrington ’02. |
This was a memorable event at an important time in American-Russian relations. In the wake of the Bush-Putin summits and in a Russia more inclined to assist in the War on Terrorism, cadets had the opportunity to visit Russia for the first time since 1996. Due to the Academy’s lack of funds and political tensions between Russia and the U.S., USMA’s contact with Russia has been limited since the end of the Cold War, to the detriment of cadets studying Russian. The most recent international incidents (eg. NATO’s war with Yugoslavia in 1999, several minor diplomatic and espionage spats, and our abrogation of the ABM treaty) have largely been forgotten in light of the two presidents’ cooperation and mutual understanding. |
The cadets started their journey with a ten-hour plane ride, followed by a seven-hour bus ride — an experience that emphasized Russia’s vast expanse for the jet-lagged travelers. The group’s “home” was in Voronezh, a quiet, provincial town along the Don River. Although the city is considered “backwater” in comparison to Moscow or St. Petersburg, this city of 1,000,000 people was the perfect location for language immersion — it boasted a few foreigners and a prestigious university. The town’s history goes back to 1586, when it served as a southern border fort against the marauding Mongols, yet rose to notoriety during Peter the Great’s reign at the beginning of the 18th Century. |
Peter wanted to fortify his southern borders against the Turkish empire, and the city was geographically key. Located on the deep Don River, with access ultimately leading to the Black Sea, Voronezh offered other resources perfect for shipbuilding — rich hardwood forests and iron. To supplement the city’s natural resources, Peter sweetened the pot by importing the country’s most beautiful women as incentive for the shipbuilders and the military garrison. The city’s population reportedly quadrupled in one year. One of the cadets mentioned that even after 300 years, after looking at the town’s women, he could see why. After Peter dealt with the Turkish southern threat, the city was eclipsed by the founding of northern St. Petersburg and the traditional capital of Russia — Moscow. |  |
» Spasskaya Tower on the Kremlin Mall in Moscow.
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In 1941, Voronezh became one of Hitler’s ten most important strategic objectives, especially because it lay on the approach to Stalingrad. The vicious, see-saw eastern front fighting resulted in the city’s almost complete destruction, the results of which the cadets would experience firsthand. Voronezh State University, which hosted the group, has a rich heritage of teaching Russian to foreigners, including American, British, German, Asian, and African students. For the first two weeks, the cadets studied Russian four hours a day, effectively completing a semester’s work in two weeks and receiving academic credit at USMA. In addition to their classroom work, the cadets were required to keep diaries and accomplish as many of the 38 assigned tasks as possible. These tasks were practical, as well as confidence building. Translating newspaper articles, identifying local military personnel by rank and branch of service, obtaining a ticket to a cultural event, and visiting an historical sight and explaining its significance were some of the tasks. |
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