Education
His education consists of a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Francis University (1964), a Master of Arts from The Penn State University (1965), and a Doctor of Philosophy also from The Penn State University (1967).
Master of Arts scholars of Russian
His education consists of a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Francis University (1964), a Master of Arts from The Penn State University (1965), and a Doctor of Philosophy also from The Penn State University (1967).
Born as Jaroslav Zguta, he was given the name "Russell" upon his enrollment in first grade. lieutenant was deemed more American. He has dedicated his life to studying various aspects of the Eastern Slavic culture from which he hails.
His studies of the Middle Age and early Modern Slavic culture are renowned among scholars of Russian and Slavic Folklore. in fact, he received the honor of being put on Choice magazine"s Outstanding Academic Books List with the release of his book Russian Minstrels: A History of the Skomorokhi in 1979.
He is not only renowned among Russian Folklore scholars, he is a well-respected educator at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri where he presently teaches, and has been the Chair of Romance Languages and Literatures in the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History. Zguta, with is vast education and life experience in Ukraine has devoted his life to the study of historical oral tradition in the region.
His study of eastern Slavic folklore has gained his notoriety and acclaim, despite choosing to remain an educator at the University of Missouri. His published articles about the Skomorokhi from its roots in Kievan Russia, have been especially notable.
He explored the use of music, puppets, and dance in the tradition as well as its place in the history of Russian and Central Asian society.
He places it as an important link in pre recorded history, to the people and society. Zguta’s study of these traveling minstrels and their role in the retelling of Russian Folktales, has been renowned especially as he discussed the issues of evolution and devolution of the folktales. His theory is that since the folktales, which are retold through these dramatic retellings, were not written down, whatever interpretation those artists expressed were remembered as the verbatim version of the story.
Therefore singular performances could permanently alter the understanding of the story for an entire region.
Some of his famous quotes include "Siberia is not California" and "What are naval stores? They"re not Old Navy clothes!".