On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the UCLA Center for World Languages (CWL), in collaboration with the Department of Slavic, East European & Eurasian Languages & Cultures (SEEELC), welcomed a group of heritage Russian language students from the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES), led by World Languages teacher of Russian and Spanish Liana Amelova, for a day‑long visit to campus.
The cohort was greeted by Arturo Díaz, Executive Director of the CWL, and Ivana Prokopenko, an undergraduate student in SEEELC, who led the group on a guided tour of the UCLA campus. The visit offered students a firsthand look at campus life and introduced them to UCLA’s robust Russian language program, with courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels, including specialized instruction for heritage speakers who speak Russian at home.

UCLA campus tour for SOCES students (Photo credit: Liana Amelova).
During the tour, students learned about the many academic and cultural opportunities available to UCLA Russian students. In the background of the Rolfe Hall Sculpture Garden, SEEELC Associate Professor Tanya Ivanova‑Sullivan spoke to the group about the department’s vibrant intellectual and extracurricular offerings, including the Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, its online undergraduate research journal, Russian poetry readings, student film projects in Russian, and cultural nights and potlucks that celebrate Russian language and culture.

Prof. Ivanova-Sullivan speaks to SOCES students at Rolfe Hall Sculpture Garden (Photo credit: Liana Amelova)
The SOCES students also took part in interactive Russian language games led by UCLA Russian Studies students. Working collaboratively and entirely in Russian, the students solved language challenges focused on topics such as food, souvenirs, cities, seasons, and weather—an engaging way to practice language skills while interacting with UCLA undergraduates.
Following the language games, the students made a classroom visit to Russian 107B: “Russian for Social and Cultural Studies,” taught by SEEELC Senior Lecturer Anna Kudyma. The high school students had the opportunity to engage in classroom activities and conversation with UCLA undergraduate students, asking questions they had prepared about academic life at UCLA and the experience of studying Russian at the university level.

SOCES high students conversing with UCLA undergraduate students (Photo credit: Liana Amelova)
After lunch at UCLA’s Ackerman Student Union, the group attended a screening of the Russian film Hipsters. The screening was followed by a discussion, led by UCLA Russian film professor Lilya Kaganovsky, to explore the film’s contrasting depictions of Soviet society and its rebellious youth subcultures, which defied restrictive Soviet norms by embracing American jazz, rock ’n’ roll, and fashion—often facing repression for their nonconformist lifestyles.

Screening of Russian film Hipsters in Royce Hall (Photo credit: Liana Amelova)
The visit concluded with some time spent at the iconic Royce Hall and Janss Steps, allowing students to take in one of UCLA’s most recognizable campus landmarks before ending their day. The field trip highlighted the dynamic opportunities that UCLA offers to help students continue exploring language study as a gateway to cultural understanding, academic growth, and global engagement.

Group photo on Janss Steps (Photo credit: Liana Amelova)