Russia
Beginnings
After decades of isolation and ideological appropriation, a great interest appeared in the Soviet Union at the time of perestroika in alternatives to government and communist controlled education. Also Waldorf education with its strong liberal and artistic impulse spontaneously found many supporters. Through its roots in the antroposophical view of the human being it offered a real source of strength in a time of radical change and ideological disorientation. Many parents and educators wanted to make it possible for children who were growing up in a completely new world, with many questions, to have an entirely different education than that the one they themselves had had imposed on them by the government. The children represented the hope for a new and better period. They were to be given more joy and light. Numerous meetings with Waldorf teachers from western countries soon led to a desire to begin with the practical implementation of these impulses in the opening Soviet Union. The Moscow Waldorf kindergarten started its work in 1991 in this open-minded, highly idealistic environment, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet state.
The development of the training seminar
The Moscow Waldorf kindergarten training seminar succeeded soon in positioning itself within adverse physical and political conditions as a forward-looking and stable institution. The first training course was largely in the hands of experienced lecturers and teachers who travelled regularly from Western countries or were constantly present in Russia. Over the years, the teaching has been increasingly taken over by local forces. Since the beginning of the Moscow Seminar in 1991 a total of 271 Waldorf kindergarten teachers from all over Russia were able to complete their training. (As of January 2010)
The training is a three year part-time training, and is divided in block courses. During the first two years, the students come three times per year for three weeks to study in Moscow and in the third year of training three times a year for a week. During this time they are also visited in their kindergartens by mentors.
In addition, the seminar also conducts post-graduate courses and introductory courses for interested people. Every autumn, a conference takes place in different places, where graduates from all over Russia attend.
In general the training seminar and therefore also Waldorf education have become increasingly anchored in the Russian educational landscape: In 2000, the collaboration with the "Russian Academy for training and retraining of teachers and officials of the education system” began, an active training facility for the whole of Russia. As a very important step must be mentioned, that the "Methodological Guidelines for the Waldorf Kindergarten" was recognized in the spring of 2001 by the Ministry of the Russian Federation after a lengthy examination process.
The position of Waldorf kindergartens in Russia
Currently there are about 42 Waldorf kindergartens in Russia, whose foundation goes back to the graduates of the Moscow seminar. The focus is in the European part of the Russian Federation, but Siberian cities have evolved into a centre of Waldorf education as well. Many of these Waldorf kindergartens remained legally under state auspices. These are either individual Waldorf kindergarten groups within a state kindergarten, or state kindergartens working as a Waldorf kindergarten. This situation makes it on the one hand easier to facilitate the financing; on the other hand it calls for coordination with the authorities, whose understanding of Waldorf education always needs to be encouraged. The private Waldorf kindergartens (about 20%) are particularly dependent on the commitment of educators and parents.
Future Tasks
After years of stormy, sometimes chaotic evolution, it can be said that Waldorf education in Russia has taken root and contributes to bringing up young people to become freer and more vocal citizens. As in all areas, the tendency of the Russian state to regain lost ground and to enforce stronger regulations is also noticeable in the field of education. The Waldorf kindergartens in Russia need to convince with their quality if they want to remain in this environment. So we now need to support what has been achieved, to develop quality further, and to give strength and courage to work through the community.
Through the Waldorf Kindergarten Training an institution has been created that offers many people an encounter with anthroposophy, a genuine reorientation and support in the midst of a very uncertain situation. This task of the training seminar is a constantly new challenge.
Above all, it is important to take on the enormous commitment of the students, who come to the training with a strong impetus for the work with children.
Project leaders:
Svetlana Efremova:
sdef@mail.ru
Regina Hoeck:
regina.hoeck@arcor.de
E-mail (Centre):
waldorfcentr@list.ru