Chekhov Cultural Center and ELE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EVENINGS II MOSCOW (Est. 1998)

Welcome to English Language Evenings II

English Language Evenings is an independent, open, public English-language lecture forum in Moscow, having hosted more than 250 meetings and ~200 different speakers since starting in 1998.

Meeting usually twice a month from September/October to late May, ELE hosts (mostly) native English speakers, often prominent and/or interesting individuals from Moscow's greater English-language and/or foreign-resident community, visitors, et al, giving lectures on topics of their own choosing.

Among the PURPOSES of ELE is the providing of an intelligent-intellectual evening in Moscow in English, the presentation of a wide variety of topics and speakers, and the promotion of more personal contacts between the speakers and Russians in Moscow. ELE is, in the context of Moscow, a kind of distant descendent of the Lyceum Movement started in 19th century America, and a direct one of "Penny University" in Santa Cruz, California.

All visitors, Russians and "expats" are welcome!

The Hosts

The HOSTS of ELE II are John Harrison, Editor of Moscow Expat Life, artist, Brit and Oksana Danchevskaya, a Cultural Studies specialist and an Associate Professor at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

The founder of ELE Stephen Lapeyrouse has moved on to further activities in Lexington, Massachusetts. He organises ELE-type public lectures there: 'Lexington Lectures'. Stephen is the author of "Towards the Spiritual Convergence of America and Russia", "В поисках "Американской мечты" - Избранные эссе", and his website can be found at AmericanReflections.net.

Speakers

ELE has now hosted 250+ meetings with ~200 SPEAKERS from many countries: from astronauts to adventurers, ambassadors and attaches of various embassies; Fulbright scholars; visiting and resident professors; well-known Moscow journalists (from the Moscow Times, Moscow News, Russia Journal, etc.) and international TV and radio correspondents (BBC, VOA, Sky News); social activists; heads of institutions (e.g. AmCham, Moscow Carnegie Center, Amnesty International), and just interesting individuals, et al, on a wide variety of lecture topics. To view a full list of previous speakers/lectures, click here.

Contacts

Lectures, travelers, writers, adventurers, et al! If you would like to give a public lecture in Moscow, contact the hosts of ELE II. Contact: harrisonj@outlook.com

Location

Lectures are held in the Chekhov Library/Cultural Center Strastnoi Bulvar 6 Moscow (Just north of the Metro Chekhovskaya street exit -- somewhat across from the large cinema at Pushkin Square -- look for the "6" on the building; go through the tunnel/arch to the back side of the building. Take the first gate/door immediately as you exit the tunnel.) Click here for map!

Here you can find a link to Chekhov Library web site, and this is a link to Library page on Facebook

Time

Meetings are usually, but not always, Fridays, so pay close attention to dates! Lectures usually start at 19:00, followed by Q&As, discussion, comments, etc; and ending about 21:00.

Notifications on ELE activities

TO BE ON THE FREE EMAILING LIST AND TO AUTOMATICALLY BE NOTIFIED OF UPCOMING ELE MEETINGS, CHANGES, ETC, SIMPLY SEND AN EMAIL TO: EnglishLanguageEveningsMoscow-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com

A Selection of Publications on ELE activities

English Language Evenings on Wikipedia

David Wansbrough's Pages

Passport Magazine on Solzhenitsyn talk

The article in Moscow Expat Life magazine 'The Chekhov Library: A Mission of Freedom'

The 18th season, 2015/2016

The 19th season, 2016/2017, will begin September 16, 2016, and lectures will be added gradually during the weeks and months.

To review this past, 18th season (2015/2016) click here.

To review 17th Season (2014/2015) click here.

To review 16th Season (2013/2014) click here.

To review the 15th season (2012/2013) click here.

NOTE: There are sometimes unplanned but necessary changes in lecturers and/or ELE dates. This is rare, but it does happen. If you are on the email list (see above) you will be notified asap; if not, it is recommended to check back here before a lecture to confirm. Efforts are made to let people know when changes occur; but best is to check here just in case.

The 19th season, 2016/2017

September 30, 7 pm

Chekhov Library/Cultural Centre,
Strastnoi Bulvar 6 Moscow

'The Art Of Stand Up Comedy'

Steven Foreman

Steven Foreman came to Russia 7 years ago. One of his main activities here is hosting the Moscow Comedy Bar once a week on the Arbat. He, and Russian guest comedians he introduces do Stand Up Comedy routines, a fairly new genre in Russia, in English.

How is Brit humour accepted here? How does Russian humour work from the point of view of a foreigner? What is the difference between British humour and Russian humour? Is humour as important or less important here? How do you make Russians laugh? How do you survive on a stage with hard eyes demanding a laugh? These are all themes that Steven will hopefully talk about on the 30th.

September 16, 7 pm

Chekhov Library/Cultural Centre,
Strastnoi Bulvar 6 Moscow

'To Animals, We Are The Devil Incarnate'

James Hogan

James Hogan, a London-based animal welfare campaigner, will lecture on what William Ralph Inge might say about our treatment of animals in the 21st century if he were able to come back today and review how animals are faring in the world now, nearly 100 years since Dean Inge first spoke those words in 1920.