On March 12 the Brandeis Russian Club and Russian Studies program performed their annual Student Talent Show as part of Brandeis’ Russian Language & Culture Week of 2025. The Student Talent Show is a tradition dating back to 2008 and all students are encouraged to participate, not just students in the Russian Club or Russian Studies Program. Before the celebrations began there was an acknowledgment of those affected by war and an explanation of the significance of International Women’s Day in post-soviet countries. International Women’s Day takes place on March 8 and after Russian women gained suffrage in 1917 the country adopted it as a national holiday. Later the date was also adopted by the United Nations in 1975. 

The show consisted of fifteen acts, each one introduced by the Masters of Ceremony Annetta Venford ’25, Aeryn Rowe ’25, and Esther Balaban ’26. The acts were a mix of songs, musical performances, and dances. Russian Club kicked off the show with a karaoke rendition of the popular song “A Boy Dreams of Tambov” by Murat Nasyrov which energized the crowd. The first of three Russian studies classes to participate was Russian 20, who performed the famous song “Blue Train” by Gena the Crocodile. The performance of “Blue Train” is a rite of passage for Russian 20 students who donned large colorful mouse ears and even did a bit of choreography much to the crowd’s delight. Russian 40’s performance was also a song, “My Heart” by Spleen, and the crowd clapped along with their performance. The final Russian Studies class that performed was Russian 153, whose performance of “Dance of the Little Swans” was dedicated to the loving memory of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Students Thomas Musser ’26, Aeryn Rowe ’25, and Solomon Zhukovskiy ’27 each put on long white tutus and joined hands to dance along to Zoe Potolsky ’26 and Lev Sewald ’26’s performance of the piece as a violin duet.

Overall the night was one of community formed amongst the students and the crowd. The Masters of Ceremony conducted the night and introduced each act balancing humor, and even getting other students to participate in their bits as well. Mark Gaysinskiy ’28 encouraged the crowd to sing along to his accordion performance of “Birthday Song” by Gena the Crocodile and he was joined by a large group of volunteers. A loud reception was given to Abby Froyshteter ’26’s powerful rendition of “My Kyiv,” the official hymn of Ukraine’s capital city. This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the song’s composer Igor Shamo. Nina Loshkin ’26 dedicated her performance of Sara Bareilles’ “She Used to Be Mine” that she sang as a duet with Isabel Hon Anderson ’25 who accompanied her on the piano to Noa Brundy ’25 the President of Russian Club who organized the show. The talent show was a wonderful and loving celebration of Russian culture and Brandeis’ Russian community. 

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Editorial Assistant Esther Balaban ’26 is a member of the Brandeis Russian Club and did not contribute to or edit this article.