Carmel Institute Events
Stunning Russian Imperial Art at Hillwood Museum & Gardens
On Saturday, February 8, 2025, the Carmel Institute organized a trip to the Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens for students from Georgetown and American Universities. The group explored Marjorie Merriweather Post’s superb collection of Russian imperial porcelain and jewelry, which she acquired while accompanying her third husband Joseph Davies to Moscow between 1937 and 1938 after President Roosevelt asked him to serve as ambassador to the USSR.
Russian stories behind art in the Smithsonian
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the National Gallery of Art for a lucky few to get a 90-minute tour of the paintings Andrew Mellon purchased from the Hermitage Museum in 1930-31 during the Soviet government's consolidation of power. Of the twenty-one paintings that Mellon purchased, fifteen are currently on display.
Art as Witness to History
On Saturday, January 25, 2025, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the National Gallery of Art. Professor Fedyashin gave students from American and Georgetown Universities a 90-minute tour of the paintings acquired by Andrew Mellon from the Hermitage Museum in 1930-31. Of the twenty-one paintings that Mellon purchased, fifteen are currently on display.
Experiencing the Cold War at the National Air & Space Museum
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, the Carmel Institute organized a tour of the National Air & Space Museum, which reopened half of its building on the National Mall in November of 2022 after a long reconstruction process. Dr. Fedyashin gave the group a 90-minute in-depth tour of the “Destination Moon” exhibit.
Witnessing History at General George Marshall's Dodona Manor in Leesburg, VA
On Saturday, November 9, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to George C. Marshall’s Dodona Manor in Leesburg, Virginia. Tour guide Bill Webster and Professor Fedyashin gave the students a 90-minute tour of the house during which they introduced the students to the career and lifestyle of one of America’s greatest statesmen.
Students Tour the Kennedy Center and Experience Tchaikovsky
The Carmel Institute purchased a bloc of concert tickets for American University and Consortium students to attend a National Symphony Orchestra concert on the evening of Saturday, November 2, 2024. Alexei Ogrintchouk was the soloist for Alexander Raskatov’s new Oboe Concerto, Time’s River, an NSO co-commission described as “a hymn to nature in resonance with our time.” Conducted by the NSO’s Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, the program also included Sergei Prokofiev’s Summer Night Suite and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.”
Ten students arrived at the Kennedy Center early for an optional hour-length tour of the building with Dr. Fedyashin and tour guide Rosanne Russo. They then went to dinner and returned for the concert. In preparation for this evening, the students read Alexandra Orlova’s article “The Last Chapter” (Music & Letters, 1981, Vol. 62, No. 2) and discussed what insights it offers into Tchaikovsky’s life and art. They also discussed the importance of Tchaikovsky to the American music scene since he inaugurated the Carnegie Center in New York, and his works are performed every Christmas and Fourth of July. While touring the Kennedy Center, the students learned about another Russian musician whose connection to the NSO was more direct—cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich who headed the orchestra from 1977 to 1994.
The concert and tour constituted the audio-visual component of a holistic historical experience that stays with students long after they graduate.
American Halloween Tradition with an Eastern European Twist!
The Carmel Institute celebrated Halloween with Eastern European candy and torte. Undergraduate and graduate students of AU’s College of Arts and Sciences came to Dr. Fedyashin’s office to taste the wonders of confectionary Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. “Mishka kosolapyi,” “Belochka,” and “Ptich’e molko” candy represented Russia, as did the “Medovik,” or Honeycake, torte. Students could also sample a piece of “Kievskii” torte from the Roshen company. For those with a taste for chocolate covered waffle, a slice of the Polish “Torcik Wedlowski” offered a perfect snack, as did Polish “Krówka” candies. And to round out the region, Lithuanian vanilla ginger cakes offered the necessary carbohydrates. Many students stopped by for a taste of Eastern Europe and a chat about the region’s rich culinary history and the department’s course selection for the spring semester.
Exploring Great War Themes
at the Wilson House
On Saturday, April 6, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the Woodrow Wilson House on S St in Washington’s Kalorama neighborhood. Tour guide David Steigman and Professor Fedyashin gave the students a 90-minute tour of the house during which they explained how Wilson and Lenin, who never met, became existentially connected due to the maelstrom of the Great War.
Student Tour Views Impressive Hillwood Museum Tsarist Russia Collection
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, the Carmel Institute organized a student trip to the Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. The group explored Marjorie Merriweather Post’s collection of Russian imperial porcelain and jewelry, most of which she acquired while accompanying her third husband Joseph Davies to Moscow between 1937 and 1938 after President Roosevelt appointed him ambassador to the USSR.
The American War of Independence and Russia
Really — no kidding! On Saturday, October 5, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the George Washington’s Mount Vernon after the attendees learned about the connections between Enlightenment ideals, Catherine the Great, and the American independence struggle, along with its influences on Russian and Soviet history. Professor Fedyashin gave the students an hour-long tour of the Museum and Education Center showing them objects related to those connections.
Looking for older events? See our Academic Year 2023 to 2024 events.