American Friends of Russian Folklore is a group that works to help Americans understand Russian culture and traditions. In 2014, Kiva teacher Caitlin Munroe and four other American educators visited Ust Buzulukskaya in the Volgograd Oblast as part of an Educator Exchange program.
“We learned about many Cossack traditions of the region and shared folklore from America with Russian students at four schools.” said Munroe.
After returning to school in Cortez, Munroe’s class spent time learning about Russia and some Cossack traditions. In addition, they Skyped several times with a Russian educator in Moscow.
The American Friends of Russian Folklore group contacted Munroe and wondered if the Children’s Kiva Montessori School, 510 N. Beech St., would host two Russian educators – Lubov Alexandrovna and Olga Lukashova – this spring. “I was excited for the opportunity for my students to share their school and their area with Lubov and Olga,” Munroe said.
Alexandrovna and Lukashova went on a field trip with the students, spent two days in the classroom and presented about their culture and history of Russia. During their stay, May 17-25, they also took part in local activities around town.