A small, but successful, group of WKU students said studying the Russian language and culture has been uniquely rewarding and hope future WKU students will have the same opportunity.
When Americans think of studying a world language, some of the top-of-mind choices might be Spanish, French, Chinese, or Arabic. Some students at Western Kentucky University have chosen to study the Russian language as part of their experience at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, the state’s first two-year residential program for exceptional high school juniors and seniors.
As the 2025 spring semester wound down, three Gatton students who took Russian language courses spoke to WKU Public Radio about the impact the classes had on them and their experiences competing in–and winning–multiple national language competitions. They also expressed disappointment that the classes are being discontinued.
In November, instructor Ekaterina Myakshina took her Russian 202 class to participate in the 44th Annual National Russian Essay Contest, organized by the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR). The class competed against more than 600 students from across the country.
Participants were given two hours to write an essay in Russian on a designated topic. Their submissions were then sent to ACTR for evaluation. All eight Gatton students who participated earned medals, with four receiving gold and four receiving silver.
In March, the class traveled to Ohio State University to compete in the Olympiada of Spoken Russian. Students showcased their abilities in oral communication, area studies, and Russian literature. Although it was the school’s first time participating in the competition, all ten students who competed earned medals.
The students also expressed concerns over the future of the Russian language classes at WKU, which are not being offered next semester. Gatton senior Helen Rose said she feels especially saddened for her professor, whom she described as deeply committed to both the program and her students.
“Having a class where, yes, I'm pushed really hard to learn the language, and we spend a lot of time on the language, but also knowing that, you know, the professor teaching us is somebody who knows us and who really cares about us, is unique from a language program that you know, you maybe do two years of, you take a language requirement, and then you move on from,” Rose said.
The Department of Modern Languages at WKU is part of the Potter College of Arts and Letters.
In an emailed statement to WKU Public Radio, PCAL Dean Dr. Terrance Brown said Russian language classes could return if there’s sufficient student demand.
“Russian remains listed in WKU’s course inventory and has been offered as individual coursework rather than as a standalone major,” Dean Brown said. “As with many elective courses across the university, Russian courses are scheduled when there is sufficient student enrollment to support the offering. If enrollment minimums are not met, the course may not be offered in a given semester, even though it remains on the books.”
“WKU continues to value language study as an important part of a comprehensive education. While we must be attentive to enrollment patterns and long-term sustainability, we remain committed to supporting language learning and strengthening the sustainability of our existing language programs and majors,” Brown added.
Student Rowan Bailey reflected on the cultural experiences he will miss, recalling one of his favorite classroom activities: singing the Russian birthday song with his classmates, which he said also bonded them with Professor Myakshina.
“Just kind of forgetting the pressure of knowing the words, singing a song in Russian, and saying happy birthday in Russian, but comfortably, and at the same time living as she might have lived as a little kid in Russia, having her birthday, singing songs with her friends,” Bailey said, “It's a window into the culture and into each other that I really value, and it's something that I'm going to take away from this course and treasure for a long time.”
Despite the complicated history of relations between the U.S. and Russia, the WKU Russian language students emphasized that politics was never brought into the classroom.
“I think that's a very good representation of what our understanding in the class is,” Rose said. “We are studying the language to be able to understand the people of Russia, not necessarily the current regime or the politics.”
“It's important to remember that the Russian speaking world is massive,” student Flynn Cook added. “There are almost as many Russian speakers outside of Russia as there are inside of Russia. Everywhere in the Soviet Union, where ethnic Russians were not a majority, the Russian language is spoken. The language becomes more valuable when you can use it as a means of relatability.”