16TH INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SCHOOL
Through Museum’s Glass: A Cultural Pass
Cultural Anthropology
How do people from different countries, cities, villages see Yakut culture?
Which of the common and different things do they notice?
Why are some images familiar, while others are perceived as unique and reflecting local meanings?
How can we form a prototype museum of Yakutia's ethnorepresentation out of all this?
To find answers to these questions, we will conduct a field study with the participants of the IRSchool 2026.
Which of the common and different things do they notice?
Why are some images familiar, while others are perceived as unique and reflecting local meanings?
How can we form a prototype museum of Yakutia's ethnorepresentation out of all this?
To find answers to these questions, we will conduct a field study with the participants of the IRSchool 2026.
The “Ысыах” Holiday
You will be able to try yourself as cultural anthropologists, ethnographers and museum curators. Together we will study how representatives of different cultures perceive the key symbols and images of Yakutia, which of them represent culture and why.
The Yakut pattern
Over the course of a week, we will immerse ourselves in qualitative field research methods (participant observation, interviews) and master the full research cycle: from formulating a research question to creating a guide, collecting data, and processing it. We will also create a prototype of a museum space based on the research findings, and your personal perspective will become a part of it.
If you are interested in culture, how it is structured, and how people communicate through various images without speaking the same language, we look forward to having you on our team! No specialized knowledge is required—we will learn everything during the school. All you need is curiosity and a desire to explore.
Requirements for Participants:
Age: 15–18
If you are interested in culture, how it is structured, and how people communicate through various images without speaking the same language, we look forward to having you on our team! No specialized knowledge is required—we will learn everything during the school. All you need is curiosity and a desire to explore.
Requirements for Participants:
Age: 15–18
- Desirable qualities: An interest in intercultural communication, sociability, and an awareness of ethical boundaries.
Tutors
Olesya Kochepasova
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Olesya is 22 and currently a Master's student in the "Evidence-Based Educational Development" program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE). She lives in St. Petersburg, but her true home—the place that has her heart—is Taganrog in the Rostov region. By her first degree, she's a philologist through and through, with a strong pull toward research at the crossroads of culture, anthropology, and contemporary phenomena across all kinds of media. She specializes in qualitative research in higher and secondary education, and she's already got two expeditions to different corners of the country under her belt, along with experience as a tutor in an HSE University project out in Kamchatka.
Alexandra Polyakova
Moscow, Russia
Moscow, Russia
Alexandra is 22 years old and she graduated from the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, where she studied Public and Municipal Administration. She also has a second specialization in History, which shaped her academic interest in social and cultural processes.
She has experience in field research conducted in several regions of Russia, including the Vladimir region, Krasnoyarsk Krai, the Republic of Buryatia, and Moscow. Her research experience focuses on studying local communities, social practices, and regional social dynamics.
Currently, she works in the field of corporate learning and development, contributing to the creation and implementation of educational programs. She also has experience as a tutor, helping school students prepare research projects for academic competitions and providing guidance during the development of their final research papers.
She has experience in field research conducted in several regions of Russia, including the Vladimir region, Krasnoyarsk Krai, the Republic of Buryatia, and Moscow. Her research experience focuses on studying local communities, social practices, and regional social dynamics.
Currently, she works in the field of corporate learning and development, contributing to the creation and implementation of educational programs. She also has experience as a tutor, helping school students prepare research projects for academic competitions and providing guidance during the development of their final research papers.
