Office of Residential Engagement and Wellbeing Russian House

What are the application deadlines?

There is a mailing in Feburary designating deadlines for the application process to all Theme Houses for the upcoming academic year. Admission decisions for Theme House applications are made before the general room draw process begins. Once a student accepts a placement in a Theme House, the student's room draw application is withdrawn. Each House has a specific deadline for confirming the residents' acceptance. However, after the initial deadline, Theme Houses continue to accept applications for a waiting list status to help fill any vacancies that might come up throughout the year.

Are floor plans available?

Yes! Please use this link for the most updated floor plans.


Is it possible to change a room in a theme house?

All internal house room changes take place according to the provisions of the House Constitution; the Faculty Advisor has the final say in the matter; the Advisor will consult the officers of the House in reaching the decision.  Once the decision has been made, the House President will contact the Office of Residential Life so that the change can be made official and a new key issued.

How are the rooms assignments conducted?

Please take a look at the House Constitution; the selection process occurs after the College's general  room draw process.

Are there regularly-scheduled activities throughout the year in the house?

Yes! On Thursday nights, Russian Tea (chai) meetings take place in the dorm—residents and other students who speak Russian (from beginners to native speakers) gather to chat, drink tea and snack on cookies - Russian and otherwise. Once a week, House residents and students of Russian also gather in Valentine Hall over lunch for Russian Table. Each resident of the House sponsors / designs / hosts House projects over the course of the year.

What are the roles of the House President, the Resident Counselor, and the House Faculty Advisor?

The House Constitution describes the roles of each of these important positions in the governance of the House.

Does a T.A. live with students in this house?

Yes! The Russian Language Assistant (usually a student or recent graduate of the Smolny College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in St. Petersburg—Russia's first liberal-arts college) resides in the House. For additional information about the Language Assistant, please see the House Constitution.

Do room blocks assigned to specific theme houses in dorms shared by more than one language house (such as Porter) change from year to year?

Yes! Each year the German House and the Russian House split Porter up into rooms specific to each "house," and the assignments of room blocks do change from year to year.


Do I have to speak in Russian all the time when I'm living in the house?

Speaking as much Russian as you can as often as you can is a central element of the House experience.  Please see the House constitution for a more detailed discussion of this aspect of Russian House living.