Russian folk tales next up in speaker series

If You Go

SPRINGFIELD — Folk tales may differ from culture to culture and include magic and talking animals, but they often share similarities, too.

“Eventually you learn that in many cases, human nature is the same all over the world,” said Lila Zaharkov, associate professor of languages at Wittenberg University.

She will lead the discussion, “Heroes from Russian Fairy Tales,” at the next monthly installment of the Global Education and Peace Network speaker series.

The free event will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, in room 105 of the Shouvlin Center on the Wittenberg campus.

Zaharkov will contrast and compare Russian folklore heros with American legends, as well as talk about the decisions the characters make and how some of those tales have been banned in U.S. schools.

An American, she took Russian courses to see what the language was like.

“I fell in love with it,” said Zaharkov, who also married a Russian.

She has been a Wittenberg professor since 1977 and has taught a variety of classes.

The Global Education and Peace Network formed out of study circles after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The theme for this year’s speaker series is “Sharing our Stories: Family and Cultural Traditions that Shape Us.”

The series is co-sponsored by the Wittenberg Center for Civic and Urban Engagement.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0363 or ssommer@coxohio.com.