Matvei Mozhaev on Russian culture, history and identity  

Matvei Mozhaev, Lawrence’s new Russian Student Language Assistant, is educating students about Russian language, history, and culture through a mixture of educational presentations, one-on-one interactions, and hands-on experiences. As one of Lawrence’s few Russian-American students, he hopes to share a unique perspective on Russian identity while offering insights as a native Russian speaker to enhance students’ language skills. 

Mozhaev, a senior majoring in global studies and minoring in studio art and trombone performance, meets with intermediate-level Russian students for a weekly 45-minute intensive lesson, in which students read short texts, compose essays and converse in Russian. Although the topics are selected by Russian language instructor Elizabeth Krizenesky, Mozhaev often takes these sessions as an opportunity to explore etymology and rare vocabulary that students don’t typically learn in class. 

“No matter what, I always try to get the students comfortable with someone speaking in a different language without necessarily pressuring them to respond in the same language,” he said. 

In addition, Mozhaev hosts a weekly Russian Language Table, where he delivers presentations centered around niche aspects of Russian culture that are not typically discussed in university courses. Previous topics include the history of Russian tattoo art, popular Russian-language YouTube influencers and a tour of his grandparents’ dacha or home. 

Although he brainstorms ideas for presentations by himself, he promotes active learning and participation. He allows students to vote on the topics they want to learn about and encourages them to propose topics for future discussions. He also provides links to websites and articles after every presentation so students can pursue further independent research on topics they find fascinating. 

Russian Table sessions are open to all students, regardless of their language proficiency. Mozhaev’s presentations include some Russian-language videos and text, but they are largely accessible to beginners, making it easy for language learners of all levels to discover more about Russian culture. 

While Mozhaev tries to maintain a positive, low-stress environment at Russian Table, his presentations do not shy away from Russia’s current role in international politics, including the recent invasion of Ukraine. He expressed that the complexity of Russian politics is often lost because reliable information networks are often inaccessible to the public. 

“Russia is an authoritarian regime, which means that it’s really difficult to get any insight on what’s actually going on inside,” said Mozhaev. “Given that there has been a strong history of all sorts of bias against [the] Russian government and Russian culture in general, that usually carries into a lot of the discourse I see about why certain things are happening in Russia and how they’re framed. What you see on the surface is often very limited, and it’s harmful to see so much excluded.” 

For Mozhaev, the job is also an opportunity for self-reflection on his own cultural heritage. He was born and raised in the Moscow area until the age of 13, when his family left Russia and settled into a small but tightly connected Russian-speaking community in Madison, Wisconsin. 

“I really want to explore my own identity as a native Russian speaker who was born in Russia,” he said. “It gives me a really great opportunity to look into how Russia came to be what it currently is through a very unique lens.” 

In addition to being a native Russian speaker, Mozhaev brings a unique perspective as a Russian of multicultural descent. His father was born in Russia but has Ukrainian ancestry, his mother is from the autonomous republic of Abkhazia in the Caucasus Mountains, and his maternal grandfather was from Kenya. 

“There are a lot of ethnic intersections in my Russian identity. I never really thought of it as much when I was living in Russia,” he said. “But I think there were a lot of labels put on me by people around me, and they affected me quite a bit.” 

While Mozhaev stated that he has rarely experienced discrimination for his Russian heritage in Appleton or Madison, he noted that some generalizations persist, especially after the invasion of Ukraine began. 

“Whenever I mention that I’m Russian, there is a wider array of reactions,” he said. “Before, people used to be surprised or curious. Now it’s surprised, curious, and also uncomfortable.” 

He urges students to engage with works by Russian creators and avoid looking at Russian culture from an outsider’s perspective. He also emphasized the importance of seeking multiple viewpoints to counter broad generalizations. 

“We just assume that a lot of Russian people share the same perspectives, but Russia is such a humongous country, and especially right now, there is more diversity in opinions and experiences than ever,” he said. 

While many historians divide Russian history into distinct periods such as the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and post-Soviet Russia, Mozhaev encourages students to approach Russian history as a single continuous narrative. He observed that people often overlook how significant events create chain reactions across multiple decades and emphasized that many aspects of modern Russia can be traced back to events from previous eras. 

In the future, he plans to expand his work and provide students with memorable experiences. In winter term, he will lead a language immersion trip to Lawrence’s Bjorklunden campus, where students can practice communicating in Russian with their classmates all weekend. 

When asked about his goals as a Student Language Assistant, Mozhaev replied that he simply wants to deliver his best work, a mindset he has also applied in his previous positions as a Community Advisor and a Program Assistant for Lawrence’s Summer Institute program. He approaches each opportunity with the goal of maximizing the position’s potential and making a positive difference in others’ lives. 

“With every job I do, I want to leave a unique impact,” said Mozhaev. “I like when my work impacts a lot of students in ways that are meaningful and long-lasting.”