Russell Valentino
Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, Indiana University
Find me in the depths of the IMU near the truck loading zone entrance.
This IUB landmark is very bright, big and showy on the outside. It has so many different additions and construction phases that visitors get lost very quickly above ground, and it contains a system of interlinking tunnels and caverns down below that are even more labyrinthine. Be careful! One wrong turn and you never know where you’ll end up….
The medieval parallel
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, or “Monastery of the Caves,” founded by the legendary monk Antony, is comprised of a number of structures (churches, bell towers) and a system of narrow underground caverns and passageways that pre-date their use as an Eastern Orthodox site of worship. They have been associated with old Slavic beliefs in the powers of the “moist Mother Earth.” The entire place is extremely bright and showy on the outside and rather claustrophobic on the underground inside.
Find someone near you who can help you learn more
- Take SLAV-U223: Introduction to Ukrainian Culture (fulfills Gen Ed 200-level requirement)
- Take SLAV-R223: Introduction to Russian Culture (fulfills Gen Ed 200-level requirement)
- Explore research and teaching on Eastern Europe and Ukraine through the Russian and Eastern European Institute: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyzQS2u2OEfjneoGyZ40lnA
