Tributes and Stories
Olga Nepomnyashchy (Cathy's daughter)
Catharine Stephanie Theimer Nepomnyashchy was, and will always be, the most admirable, awe inspiring, and most amazing person in my life (and my favorite as well, no offense Uncle James, Seungju). She was not only the strongest person I knew, but she was also the kindest. The warmth of her heart and words touched many people and impacted them. She was not only a professor, she was a friend. She saw no right or wrong answer, she just saw “prove your hypothesis/thesis/thingymerbob that you’re trying to say, but dont be scared to make mistakes”. Many people knew her as a scholar, and as an intellectual. I knew her as my most beloved and dearest friends, my best friend, and my mother.
It was sadly only recently that I learned about each and every one of the amazing things she’s accomplished. But aw man, there are no words to describe how thankful and in awe I am in her presence. Despite her life being out of her body, her soul and love still resides with us. She will never truly disappear from our lives. Even now I still hear her calling out to me to watch where I’m going, asking whether or not my homework is done, and to be careful of walking mindlessly into doors.
I will always treasure the time we spent together, and I will never forget everything that we shared and had. I remember walking in foreign countries frantically searching for ice cream shops high and low, and stopping each time a cat came creeping out of a corner. I remember the plane rides, and airport stops in the many countries we visited, and how comfy your shoulder was to rest my head on. I remember even a few months ago, standing on the airplane seats and helping you put the tumi bag up in the overhead compartment. Despite almost (and sometimes actually) falling on my rear-end numerous times, you were always there to catch me and pick me up.
When I say I remember everything, I remember everything. I remember the ballets we went to at Lincoln Center, and how we got dressed up and you used this beautiful red lip gloss that was made out of sugar cane. I remember the jewelry you wore (that I am very jealous of), and the gorgeous dresses that Zee made. I remember holding your hand and sitting in these seats waiting for the ballet to begin. And of course, I remember waiting for the bathroom. I also remember how sometimes we went backstage and saw the prima ballerinas and how cool it made me feel. Not to mention, they were very pretty. And I mean, famous people y’know? I remember hearing about how, when I was two, I gave myself a haircut right before meeting Gorbachev (shit, too early. But I did meet Baryshnikov but that's a whole 'nother embarrassing story, lets just say I was in a "I love cheese phase").
Aw man, speaking of cutting my hair by myself, I never really learnt how to control scissors. Third grade I even gave myself pretty terrific bangs in art class right before having to leave for the airport, and then rushing frantically to my hair stylist and having her fix me up.
I remember the 26 countries that I’ve been to with you, and all of the hotels we stayed in. And I remember how achy my feet were, how busy the streets were, how interesting and awesome the cities and houses were and I remember how wonderful and intoxicating the culture around us was, and how despite being so modernized there was still a sinful taste of tradition. I remember the conferences you went to, where you sat in the front with an occasional bowl of candy, and how I would sometimes (being the sneaky lil devil I was/still am) reach from under the table and try to take some candies. If I remember correctly, I think I do, there was even a time I think I fell flat on my face while rushing up to you. Aw man, that was quite a thrill. Being in the presence with all these cool, important scholars, and just sprinting with my little legs towards you. Just to end up falling on my face. Tsk, tsk Olga.
But i also remember the times i had snuck into your bed with tears in my eyes and how, even if it was around four in the morning, you still let me in and was just as worried as you would’ve been a few hours earlier or later. I will always remember the support and love, protectiveness and the shelter you provided me. And I will also treasure the spas, and beaches, and crocodile soups that we shared. And don’t get me started on your beautiful goldilocks.
I told you that instead of saying I’ll try, to say I will. And despite time not being on either of our sides, i know that you beat it. Even if it’s only figuratively, and i’m so glad that you went without pain. I feel as though my father, your husband (Viacheslav) was watching and guiding and taking care of you every step of the way. And I could have sworn I heard Manning shuffling around. You may be gone off this earth, but in reality you have not left and you will always stay with us.
May you rest in peace, I love you and dad (and Asya and Manning as well, oh and Luna the rat), and I promise to make everyone proud.
Andrew Kahn
Cathy was incredibly kind to me on an occasion in the early 1990s. I was just finishing my dissertation and had a Copland Fellowship at Amherst College. A guest speaker in the Columbia Seminar on Slavic History and Culture dropped out at the last minute and Cathy, who must have heard my name from a friend, called me up and invited me to get the train down and fill in. She struck just the right note of reassurance when I arrived, but as we were about to go into the seminar she asked me when I’d received my Ph.D. Well, I hadn’t actually submitted at that point! Her whispered response was ‘Oops. Let’s say you did for now!’. For me the whole occasion was unforgettable (and decisive since the paper was subsequently published with real improvements thanks to the Columbia audience); it is indelibly associated with a very fond of memory of Cathy’s humanity and nurturing, great qualities. As it happens, I’m talking at Columbia tomorrow and I shall really miss her contralto reassurances, the bravado of her cigarette ash and her intellectual sparkle. I send my condolences to all her students, colleagues and friends at Columbia.
Melissa T. Smith
Cathy Theimer Nepomnyashchy was legend for me before I met her -- indeed, long before she joined the faculty at Barnard. We were of the sparse collection of Vietnam-era students-grad students of Russian whose personal and professional lives took shape against the background of Cold War politics. I first heard of her in 1976, when In 1976 my fellow ACTR student Peter Scotto (now professor of Russian at Mount Holyoke) had become the designated conduit of her correspondence to Moscow with her Russian fiance of five years, who had yet to granted an exit visa.
My personal acquaintance with Cathy evolved through myriad professional conferences and workshops, where, along with discussions of Russian literature and politics, we shared "war stories" of the American job market for Slavists. When I ambivalently settled for tenure in a one-person Russian program at Youngstown State University ( a long way from my Barnard alma mater), Cathy congratulated me on being the first person of our generation to be granted tenure; when at some point I happened to mention my admiration for her personal struggles, her comment was, "I'm stubborn."
From her conference presentations and publications, it was easily evident that Cathy had a knack for making scholarship fun, and I imagined her as delightful addition to Barnard's faculty. Cathy could make unexpected and interesting connections both on an intellectual and personal level: it was not until circa 1999, at a reception in her suite at some conference hotel that I mentioned having graduated from Barnard the same your she finished Brown. She promptly invited me to inaugurate an alumni speaker's conference in Barnard's Russian Department.
Cathy's life touched many others; I experience her death as a "black hole" in the universe of Slavic studies.
David A. Goldfarb
While I taught in the Slavic Department at Barnard College from 1998-2007, Cathy Nepomnyashchy served in a very short period of time and in overlapping terms as Department Chair, Director of the Harriman Institute, President of AATSEEL, member of the Board of Directors of ASEEES (or maybe it was still AAASS), and head of the Slavic Division at MLA, definitively earning the title “Empress of All the Russias.” Colleagues outside the Barnard/Columbia orbit may not have all realized how significant it was for a woman and for a faculty member appointed to a Barnard department to be the Director of an old-boys’ club like the Harriman Institute, which had the largest endowment of any institute in the humanities on the Columbia campus at the time and was more the denizen of historians and social scientists than specialists in language and literature. Cathy’s institutional presence raised the profile of the Slavic Department in the Barnard context enormously and magnified our case to the administration that, though we were a tiny department that produced only a few majors a year, we more than made up in quality of students and faculty both, what we lacked for quantity.
Cathy encouraged me to become active outside the American sphere, presenting at conferences in the UK, at ICCEES in Tampere, and meeting a whole world of Slavists who didn’t often make it to AAASS/ASEEES, AATSEEL, or MLA. As we could clearly see that distance learning was going to play an increasing role in what we did as teachers, she gave me a fabulous opportunity to develop a humanities course with her for the East European Studies Online M.A. degree at the Freie Universität Berlin. We made a great team for this task, as she had such a wide ranging network of connections and insights as a specialist in Soviet and Post-Soviet literature, while I worked specifically on East-Central Europe, which was the core content of the program, so we could really do things like bounce Sinyavsky off of Miłosz and bring a wide range of reference and depth to that discussion. Since the students were scattered all over the globe, except for two weeks in Berlin each year, we couldn’t present live lectures online, but we wrote introductory essays to each unit, providing reading materials, films, and images online, and ran discussion forums and assigned essays to the students. The in-house classes in Berlin were always the most exhilarating part of the course, because we were genuinely learning new things from each other and exploring new territory, bringing the students in to what we really did as scholars.
For all her professional expansiveness, Cathy was always one of the most humane, approachable, and down-to-earth people I’ve known in the field, devoting time she didn’t really have to students at all levels, and in the whirlwind of activity that always seemed to surround her, maintaining a genuine intellectual interest in whatever it was you happened to be working on.
Heidi Kronvall
My deepest condolences to Cathy Nepomnyashchy’s beloved daughter, Olga, her family, and all her grateful students, friends, and colleagues. She was my mentor at the Harriman Institute and supported my journeys throughout Russia to conduct research, and helped me during my difficult transition from the world of the performing arts to the world of academia and eventually foreign policy. I would not be who I am today without her encouragement, understanding, and support!
Tanya Domi
I am in a state of incredible shock to have been just informed of the passing this morning of my Columbia mentor Catharine Nepomnyashchy. Cathy was instrumental in helping me finish my thesis and graduating from Columbia. She invited me to teach at the Harriman Institute and we team taught together for two years. Indeed, our last conversation was one about urging me to pursue a PhD in Slavic Studies. She really cared and was someone who deeply understood Russia. RIP dear friend and mentor.
In my former dual-hatted role at Columbia University, I also worked in the Office of Communications. When the Georgian war began in August 2008 The Harriman Institute's expertise was called upon and I was fortunate to place Catharine Nepomnyashchy in the New York Times as the director. This is such a nice story and I am so pleased to post it here as a remembrance. She was the first woman director of the Harriman Institute. Great scholar, exceptional scholar, great teacher, great mentor, great person. Huge loss at Barnard College and at Columbia and of course at Harriman. Remembering you Cathy with great love and respect.
Slobodanka Vladiv-Glover
Dear Cathy, you loved life, travel, people, conversation. You loved your beloved Olga. You were like girlfriends. The last time you came to Australia, which you loved, was in February 2013, to two conferences, in Sydney and in Hobart (Tasmania). You wanted to visit MoNa - the Hobart equivalent of MoMa. You loved the excursion on the ferry - an all-day event. We were all inspired by your presence, then and on every other occasion. If Cathy was coming to some event, it was like a праздник. You have left a big hole in the lives of people you touched - including yours truly. Condolences to James and Olga and all your family, friends and students. Светлая память!
Ambassador of Trust and Friendship
RUJ President Vsevolod Bogdanov and RUJ Secretariat
Professor Catharine Nepomnyashchy, our Cathy for all Russian journalists taking part in numerous and bright exchange programs and international discussions on free media and Russian-American relationship played extraordinary role in international development of Russian Union of journalists and all our community.
She took part in first Russian-American conference in 1991 in Moscow, since that became regular partner of RUJ and MSU in development of new cooperation programs and dialogues. She was one of key note speakers at World Conference on Journalists in Moscow in 2007, she initiated number of bright seminars and gatherings of journalists in Harriman. In 2010 she became main expert of RUJ-IREX Russian/English web site "Dialogue of Trust" devoted to free exchange of opinions of Russian and American scholars, experts and journalists.
She was real enthusiast of building bridges across conflicts, misunderstandings, stereotyping between Russian and American scholars and media professionals. Her mission of real ambassador of trust and cooperation, common sense and good will to create open space for free discussion and better cooperation is really extraordinary. And, even more, many of us became friends. This friendship, and our commitment to trust and cooperation is also our tribute to Cathy's memory.
Cathy is in My Soul Forever
Svetlana Vasilenko, First Secretary of Union of Russian Writers, Moscow
I will never forget our first meeting in New York spring 1991. My first trip to NYC, together with a group of young women writers, we named ourselves "New Amazons." We came to take part in the first perestroika time conference of Russian and American women writers. "Glasnost in Two Cultures." Cathy was a soul of the meeting, warm, with great humor and hospitality, very simple with us, like we knew her for ages--and at the same time very professional scholar, with deep understanding and knowledge of Russian literature.
She is in my soul forever. Cathy will be with us, like during four first meeting--as warm and kind symbol of America. She united so many people from Russia and US, people from many countries, around Harriman Institute, around her apartment on Manhattan, she supported so many of us, and tried to do her best to help all these years.
It is a real tragedy that people like her pass away so early. But I do believe that she will find a way to help all of us--even from heaven--and to go on building new bridges between Russian and American writers, scholars and journalists.
Catharine Stephanie Theimer Nepomnyashchy was, and will always be, the most admirable, awe inspiring, and most amazing person in my life (and my favorite as well, no offense Uncle James, Seungju). She was not only the strongest person I knew, but she was also the kindest. The warmth of her heart and words touched many people and impacted them. She was not only a professor, she was a friend. She saw no right or wrong answer, she just saw “prove your hypothesis/thesis/thingymerbob that you’re trying to say, but dont be scared to make mistakes”. Many people knew her as a scholar, and as an intellectual. I knew her as my most beloved and dearest friends, my best friend, and my mother.
It was sadly only recently that I learned about each and every one of the amazing things she’s accomplished. But aw man, there are no words to describe how thankful and in awe I am in her presence. Despite her life being out of her body, her soul and love still resides with us. She will never truly disappear from our lives. Even now I still hear her calling out to me to watch where I’m going, asking whether or not my homework is done, and to be careful of walking mindlessly into doors.
I will always treasure the time we spent together, and I will never forget everything that we shared and had. I remember walking in foreign countries frantically searching for ice cream shops high and low, and stopping each time a cat came creeping out of a corner. I remember the plane rides, and airport stops in the many countries we visited, and how comfy your shoulder was to rest my head on. I remember even a few months ago, standing on the airplane seats and helping you put the tumi bag up in the overhead compartment. Despite almost (and sometimes actually) falling on my rear-end numerous times, you were always there to catch me and pick me up.
When I say I remember everything, I remember everything. I remember the ballets we went to at Lincoln Center, and how we got dressed up and you used this beautiful red lip gloss that was made out of sugar cane. I remember the jewelry you wore (that I am very jealous of), and the gorgeous dresses that Zee made. I remember holding your hand and sitting in these seats waiting for the ballet to begin. And of course, I remember waiting for the bathroom. I also remember how sometimes we went backstage and saw the prima ballerinas and how cool it made me feel. Not to mention, they were very pretty. And I mean, famous people y’know? I remember hearing about how, when I was two, I gave myself a haircut right before meeting Gorbachev (shit, too early. But I did meet Baryshnikov but that's a whole 'nother embarrassing story, lets just say I was in a "I love cheese phase").
Aw man, speaking of cutting my hair by myself, I never really learnt how to control scissors. Third grade I even gave myself pretty terrific bangs in art class right before having to leave for the airport, and then rushing frantically to my hair stylist and having her fix me up.
I remember the 26 countries that I’ve been to with you, and all of the hotels we stayed in. And I remember how achy my feet were, how busy the streets were, how interesting and awesome the cities and houses were and I remember how wonderful and intoxicating the culture around us was, and how despite being so modernized there was still a sinful taste of tradition. I remember the conferences you went to, where you sat in the front with an occasional bowl of candy, and how I would sometimes (being the sneaky lil devil I was/still am) reach from under the table and try to take some candies. If I remember correctly, I think I do, there was even a time I think I fell flat on my face while rushing up to you. Aw man, that was quite a thrill. Being in the presence with all these cool, important scholars, and just sprinting with my little legs towards you. Just to end up falling on my face. Tsk, tsk Olga.
But i also remember the times i had snuck into your bed with tears in my eyes and how, even if it was around four in the morning, you still let me in and was just as worried as you would’ve been a few hours earlier or later. I will always remember the support and love, protectiveness and the shelter you provided me. And I will also treasure the spas, and beaches, and crocodile soups that we shared. And don’t get me started on your beautiful goldilocks.
I told you that instead of saying I’ll try, to say I will. And despite time not being on either of our sides, i know that you beat it. Even if it’s only figuratively, and i’m so glad that you went without pain. I feel as though my father, your husband (Viacheslav) was watching and guiding and taking care of you every step of the way. And I could have sworn I heard Manning shuffling around. You may be gone off this earth, but in reality you have not left and you will always stay with us.
May you rest in peace, I love you and dad (and Asya and Manning as well, oh and Luna the rat), and I promise to make everyone proud.
Andrew Kahn
Cathy was incredibly kind to me on an occasion in the early 1990s. I was just finishing my dissertation and had a Copland Fellowship at Amherst College. A guest speaker in the Columbia Seminar on Slavic History and Culture dropped out at the last minute and Cathy, who must have heard my name from a friend, called me up and invited me to get the train down and fill in. She struck just the right note of reassurance when I arrived, but as we were about to go into the seminar she asked me when I’d received my Ph.D. Well, I hadn’t actually submitted at that point! Her whispered response was ‘Oops. Let’s say you did for now!’. For me the whole occasion was unforgettable (and decisive since the paper was subsequently published with real improvements thanks to the Columbia audience); it is indelibly associated with a very fond of memory of Cathy’s humanity and nurturing, great qualities. As it happens, I’m talking at Columbia tomorrow and I shall really miss her contralto reassurances, the bravado of her cigarette ash and her intellectual sparkle. I send my condolences to all her students, colleagues and friends at Columbia.
Melissa T. Smith
Cathy Theimer Nepomnyashchy was legend for me before I met her -- indeed, long before she joined the faculty at Barnard. We were of the sparse collection of Vietnam-era students-grad students of Russian whose personal and professional lives took shape against the background of Cold War politics. I first heard of her in 1976, when In 1976 my fellow ACTR student Peter Scotto (now professor of Russian at Mount Holyoke) had become the designated conduit of her correspondence to Moscow with her Russian fiance of five years, who had yet to granted an exit visa.
My personal acquaintance with Cathy evolved through myriad professional conferences and workshops, where, along with discussions of Russian literature and politics, we shared "war stories" of the American job market for Slavists. When I ambivalently settled for tenure in a one-person Russian program at Youngstown State University ( a long way from my Barnard alma mater), Cathy congratulated me on being the first person of our generation to be granted tenure; when at some point I happened to mention my admiration for her personal struggles, her comment was, "I'm stubborn."
From her conference presentations and publications, it was easily evident that Cathy had a knack for making scholarship fun, and I imagined her as delightful addition to Barnard's faculty. Cathy could make unexpected and interesting connections both on an intellectual and personal level: it was not until circa 1999, at a reception in her suite at some conference hotel that I mentioned having graduated from Barnard the same your she finished Brown. She promptly invited me to inaugurate an alumni speaker's conference in Barnard's Russian Department.
Cathy's life touched many others; I experience her death as a "black hole" in the universe of Slavic studies.
David A. Goldfarb
While I taught in the Slavic Department at Barnard College from 1998-2007, Cathy Nepomnyashchy served in a very short period of time and in overlapping terms as Department Chair, Director of the Harriman Institute, President of AATSEEL, member of the Board of Directors of ASEEES (or maybe it was still AAASS), and head of the Slavic Division at MLA, definitively earning the title “Empress of All the Russias.” Colleagues outside the Barnard/Columbia orbit may not have all realized how significant it was for a woman and for a faculty member appointed to a Barnard department to be the Director of an old-boys’ club like the Harriman Institute, which had the largest endowment of any institute in the humanities on the Columbia campus at the time and was more the denizen of historians and social scientists than specialists in language and literature. Cathy’s institutional presence raised the profile of the Slavic Department in the Barnard context enormously and magnified our case to the administration that, though we were a tiny department that produced only a few majors a year, we more than made up in quality of students and faculty both, what we lacked for quantity.
Cathy encouraged me to become active outside the American sphere, presenting at conferences in the UK, at ICCEES in Tampere, and meeting a whole world of Slavists who didn’t often make it to AAASS/ASEEES, AATSEEL, or MLA. As we could clearly see that distance learning was going to play an increasing role in what we did as teachers, she gave me a fabulous opportunity to develop a humanities course with her for the East European Studies Online M.A. degree at the Freie Universität Berlin. We made a great team for this task, as she had such a wide ranging network of connections and insights as a specialist in Soviet and Post-Soviet literature, while I worked specifically on East-Central Europe, which was the core content of the program, so we could really do things like bounce Sinyavsky off of Miłosz and bring a wide range of reference and depth to that discussion. Since the students were scattered all over the globe, except for two weeks in Berlin each year, we couldn’t present live lectures online, but we wrote introductory essays to each unit, providing reading materials, films, and images online, and ran discussion forums and assigned essays to the students. The in-house classes in Berlin were always the most exhilarating part of the course, because we were genuinely learning new things from each other and exploring new territory, bringing the students in to what we really did as scholars.
For all her professional expansiveness, Cathy was always one of the most humane, approachable, and down-to-earth people I’ve known in the field, devoting time she didn’t really have to students at all levels, and in the whirlwind of activity that always seemed to surround her, maintaining a genuine intellectual interest in whatever it was you happened to be working on.
Heidi Kronvall
My deepest condolences to Cathy Nepomnyashchy’s beloved daughter, Olga, her family, and all her grateful students, friends, and colleagues. She was my mentor at the Harriman Institute and supported my journeys throughout Russia to conduct research, and helped me during my difficult transition from the world of the performing arts to the world of academia and eventually foreign policy. I would not be who I am today without her encouragement, understanding, and support!
Tanya Domi
I am in a state of incredible shock to have been just informed of the passing this morning of my Columbia mentor Catharine Nepomnyashchy. Cathy was instrumental in helping me finish my thesis and graduating from Columbia. She invited me to teach at the Harriman Institute and we team taught together for two years. Indeed, our last conversation was one about urging me to pursue a PhD in Slavic Studies. She really cared and was someone who deeply understood Russia. RIP dear friend and mentor.
In my former dual-hatted role at Columbia University, I also worked in the Office of Communications. When the Georgian war began in August 2008 The Harriman Institute's expertise was called upon and I was fortunate to place Catharine Nepomnyashchy in the New York Times as the director. This is such a nice story and I am so pleased to post it here as a remembrance. She was the first woman director of the Harriman Institute. Great scholar, exceptional scholar, great teacher, great mentor, great person. Huge loss at Barnard College and at Columbia and of course at Harriman. Remembering you Cathy with great love and respect.
Slobodanka Vladiv-Glover
Dear Cathy, you loved life, travel, people, conversation. You loved your beloved Olga. You were like girlfriends. The last time you came to Australia, which you loved, was in February 2013, to two conferences, in Sydney and in Hobart (Tasmania). You wanted to visit MoNa - the Hobart equivalent of MoMa. You loved the excursion on the ferry - an all-day event. We were all inspired by your presence, then and on every other occasion. If Cathy was coming to some event, it was like a праздник. You have left a big hole in the lives of people you touched - including yours truly. Condolences to James and Olga and all your family, friends and students. Светлая память!
Ambassador of Trust and Friendship
RUJ President Vsevolod Bogdanov and RUJ Secretariat
Professor Catharine Nepomnyashchy, our Cathy for all Russian journalists taking part in numerous and bright exchange programs and international discussions on free media and Russian-American relationship played extraordinary role in international development of Russian Union of journalists and all our community.
She took part in first Russian-American conference in 1991 in Moscow, since that became regular partner of RUJ and MSU in development of new cooperation programs and dialogues. She was one of key note speakers at World Conference on Journalists in Moscow in 2007, she initiated number of bright seminars and gatherings of journalists in Harriman. In 2010 she became main expert of RUJ-IREX Russian/English web site "Dialogue of Trust" devoted to free exchange of opinions of Russian and American scholars, experts and journalists.
She was real enthusiast of building bridges across conflicts, misunderstandings, stereotyping between Russian and American scholars and media professionals. Her mission of real ambassador of trust and cooperation, common sense and good will to create open space for free discussion and better cooperation is really extraordinary. And, even more, many of us became friends. This friendship, and our commitment to trust and cooperation is also our tribute to Cathy's memory.
Cathy is in My Soul Forever
Svetlana Vasilenko, First Secretary of Union of Russian Writers, Moscow
I will never forget our first meeting in New York spring 1991. My first trip to NYC, together with a group of young women writers, we named ourselves "New Amazons." We came to take part in the first perestroika time conference of Russian and American women writers. "Glasnost in Two Cultures." Cathy was a soul of the meeting, warm, with great humor and hospitality, very simple with us, like we knew her for ages--and at the same time very professional scholar, with deep understanding and knowledge of Russian literature.
She is in my soul forever. Cathy will be with us, like during four first meeting--as warm and kind symbol of America. She united so many people from Russia and US, people from many countries, around Harriman Institute, around her apartment on Manhattan, she supported so many of us, and tried to do her best to help all these years.
It is a real tragedy that people like her pass away so early. But I do believe that she will find a way to help all of us--even from heaven--and to go on building new bridges between Russian and American writers, scholars and journalists.
Elena Skarlygina, Ph.D, Assistant professor, Faculty of Journalism, MSU
Catharine Theimer-Nepomnyashchy was brilliant scholar and very kind, wonderful person. She loved Russia and had deep interest to Russian history and Russian literature, classic literature and contemporary one.
She was married Russian man, Slava Nepomnyashchy, and knew many Russians, everything taking place in USSR and Russia was also her personal interest and concern.
I met her in May 1991, when took part in International conference on literarure in Duke University, as member of Russian delegation under Yassen Zassoursky leadership. Cathy worked hard on all arrangements, and arranged short time in NYC for our group. I remember her as very energetic, open and warm person. She showed us the city, we were drinking coffee and were talking about everything.
Cathy became close friend of my tutor,very important person in my professional and provate life, professor Galina Belaya. All Cathy's trips to Moscow started with our visits to Galina Andreevna Belaya, her apartment was meeting place for many interesting people, including slavic scholars from all over the world.
Catharine wrote wonderful book about Andrey Sinyavsky ( Abram Tertz and Poetika of Crime), and one could find some reflections of meetings with Galina Andreevna, old frienmd of Sonyavsky, in the book.
Catharine worked hard as professor of Russian literature, she studied carefully everything associated with free word in Soviet period - samizdat in 1960-80, independent minded voices, the Thaw...
In August 1991 in Moscow Catharine was celebrating failure of anti-Gorbahov cudeta together with us, Russians! It seemed that that victory of democracy in Russian was her , American , personal victory as well!
Dear Catharine, we do love you, and remember you.
You are with us for ever, light person with great heart...
Cathy, My American Sister
Nadezda Azhgikhina
I have heard about Cathy long ago before our first meeting, from our family friend, “first American” in our life, chief of Moscow office of Time Magazine John Cohan. John became our close friend in 1988, soon after his interview with my husband Jury Shchekochikhin, investigative journalist from Literaturnaya Gazeta, who opened issue of organized crime and corruption in USSR. John was talking about his university mate, professor of Slavic studies, fond of Russian literature, married a Russian man. We met with Cathy first in John’s place in 1989, she was looking for a Russian professor Galina Belaya, my tutor in MSU. So we had no chance to miss each other.
During 1989-1990 Cathy’s Moscow visits we spent days and nights together, discussing Russian literature, American life, dreams of freedom, details and impressions, we have been visited writers and prepared some publications, including her first publication in “ Oronyok” magazine, where I used to work .We were in a hurry to start creating new professional space – as many people of that time.
In 1991 I came to NYC, for a conference “ Glasnost in two Cultures” in NYU, Cathy was one or organizers. There is no exaggeration to say that the conference gave fresh start to many joined initiatives and opened Russian- American academic , literature and feminist dialogue. After a conference I stayed a couple of days with Cathy and her husband Slava at their place at Central Part West. “You are so lucky, said my Russian friend writer, - you have an American sister”. Everybody in our Russian writers group decided that Cathy was my American sister.
It was fantastic time of opening of a universe, epoch of dreams , hopes and inspiration, time of desire of creation of new, happy world free from shadows of Cold War . We all, Russians and Americans believed in this beautiful world, and felt happy to be participants of building new bridges to the future.
Cathy was in the center of many innovative joint projects on Russian- American cooperation, since 1990. Even more, she was a sole of those projects, bringing her personal inspiration and romanticism into academic studies, and it made difference as well.
My American sister believed in personal dimension of transformation of academic field, in personal dimension of transformation as a whole. She believed that personal choice makes difference in any case. And she was right.
In August 1991 we spent three days of Russian resistance to the past together, in Moscow. We described some reflections of the time in a small book, published in 2014 in Moscow, presentation took place in Moscow Journalist Club in June 2014, when Cathy visited Moscow with a group of American students.
We have been thinking about a new book about Russian- American friendship, stereotypes and misunderstandings, and joined hopes, based on literature, history and personal experience. In general, we had lots of plans for the future.
In 2010 we established web site “ Dialogue of Trust” in 2010, the idea was born in our long telephone talks during Russian- Georgian conflict , after that we decided to arrange free space for open discussion for Russian and American experts, journalists and scholars. We planned to go on with this project as well.
One of her life projects was interpretation of creative activities and heritage of Andrey Sinyavsky, she was the best in the world expert in this field. She also realized and had in mind many other projects, on Pushkin, Nabokov, Russian Literature under Stalin, popular culture and others. For many years she was divided between Harriman Institute leadership and academic work, she tried to do so many things at the same time…
Our book on August 1991 was dedicated to memory of our husbands, Yura and Slava, both passed sway, and to memory of Galina Andreevna Belaya, who published the best book on Russian literature life in the 1920 th- Don Kikhots of the 20 th.
My American sister Cathy , professor Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy knew the very secret of those Don Kikhots of all times of Russian literature, and Russian life.
Remembering Professor Nepomnyashchy
Professor Elena Vaetanova, Dean, MSU Faculty of Journalism
American professor Catharine Theimer Nepombyashchy became friend of Faculty of Journalism of MSU in the 1990. She participated in one of first Russian- American academic projects, and became «American soul» of many International gatherings of scholars of contemporary culture and media issues. There is exaggeration to say that extraordinary process of establishing Russian- Americal cooperation on regular basis one could not imagine without active and inspiring role of Cathy. As Deputy Director of Harriman Institute, then Director of Harriman, she arranged number of conferences and International discussion what showed new approaches and gave fresh start to new projects.
Professor Nepomnyashchy also was pioneering in establishing academic and student contacts between Barnard College, Harriman and MSU. In 2011-2013 Russian and American students and post graduates took part in exchange programs, and Barnard and Faculty of Journalism was discussed on line innovative course on human rights, media and gender.
In June 2014 she brought to Moscow group of American students, they visited the Faculty, met professors and students. Last cord of the visit was presentation of the book « Three Days in August», by Nepomnyashchy and Azhgikhina, also joined project of Harriman and the Faculty.
Many speakers said at the presentation that the book should be first step of new joint inter- discipline program, developing existing contacts and building new bridges of cooperation and trust between scholars and journalists of two countries.
We will be remembering Cathy, and will try to do our best to go in our work on cooperation and research.
Mara Kashper
I am thinking about her, about our almost 30 years together at Barnard! She was a wonderful colleague, a dedicated department chair, and a very good friend.
We drank champagne together (her favorite), we talked about raising children, about new courses, about my fears, when she encouraged me to teach First Year Seminar, about her plans for Harriman, - we shared so many things in our lives...
I will never forget Cathy's advice when my father was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles and I was torn between my filial duties and my responsibilities to my students. Cathy said, "You have to go to LA, it's more important!" She helped me find a substitute for a few classes and I did go to LA to see my ailing father. This incident might sound insignificant, but I always remember how she practically made the decision for me and I remain forever grateful.
Cathy had a good heart, she was devoted to her friends, her colleagues, her students and of course to Olga.
I loved her...
Пусть земля ей будет пухом!
Click here for a 1977 article about Cathy and her husband, Vyacheslav Nepomnyashchy
Catharine Theimer-Nepomnyashchy was brilliant scholar and very kind, wonderful person. She loved Russia and had deep interest to Russian history and Russian literature, classic literature and contemporary one.
She was married Russian man, Slava Nepomnyashchy, and knew many Russians, everything taking place in USSR and Russia was also her personal interest and concern.
I met her in May 1991, when took part in International conference on literarure in Duke University, as member of Russian delegation under Yassen Zassoursky leadership. Cathy worked hard on all arrangements, and arranged short time in NYC for our group. I remember her as very energetic, open and warm person. She showed us the city, we were drinking coffee and were talking about everything.
Cathy became close friend of my tutor,very important person in my professional and provate life, professor Galina Belaya. All Cathy's trips to Moscow started with our visits to Galina Andreevna Belaya, her apartment was meeting place for many interesting people, including slavic scholars from all over the world.
Catharine wrote wonderful book about Andrey Sinyavsky ( Abram Tertz and Poetika of Crime), and one could find some reflections of meetings with Galina Andreevna, old frienmd of Sonyavsky, in the book.
Catharine worked hard as professor of Russian literature, she studied carefully everything associated with free word in Soviet period - samizdat in 1960-80, independent minded voices, the Thaw...
In August 1991 in Moscow Catharine was celebrating failure of anti-Gorbahov cudeta together with us, Russians! It seemed that that victory of democracy in Russian was her , American , personal victory as well!
Dear Catharine, we do love you, and remember you.
You are with us for ever, light person with great heart...
Cathy, My American Sister
Nadezda Azhgikhina
I have heard about Cathy long ago before our first meeting, from our family friend, “first American” in our life, chief of Moscow office of Time Magazine John Cohan. John became our close friend in 1988, soon after his interview with my husband Jury Shchekochikhin, investigative journalist from Literaturnaya Gazeta, who opened issue of organized crime and corruption in USSR. John was talking about his university mate, professor of Slavic studies, fond of Russian literature, married a Russian man. We met with Cathy first in John’s place in 1989, she was looking for a Russian professor Galina Belaya, my tutor in MSU. So we had no chance to miss each other.
During 1989-1990 Cathy’s Moscow visits we spent days and nights together, discussing Russian literature, American life, dreams of freedom, details and impressions, we have been visited writers and prepared some publications, including her first publication in “ Oronyok” magazine, where I used to work .We were in a hurry to start creating new professional space – as many people of that time.
In 1991 I came to NYC, for a conference “ Glasnost in two Cultures” in NYU, Cathy was one or organizers. There is no exaggeration to say that the conference gave fresh start to many joined initiatives and opened Russian- American academic , literature and feminist dialogue. After a conference I stayed a couple of days with Cathy and her husband Slava at their place at Central Part West. “You are so lucky, said my Russian friend writer, - you have an American sister”. Everybody in our Russian writers group decided that Cathy was my American sister.
It was fantastic time of opening of a universe, epoch of dreams , hopes and inspiration, time of desire of creation of new, happy world free from shadows of Cold War . We all, Russians and Americans believed in this beautiful world, and felt happy to be participants of building new bridges to the future.
Cathy was in the center of many innovative joint projects on Russian- American cooperation, since 1990. Even more, she was a sole of those projects, bringing her personal inspiration and romanticism into academic studies, and it made difference as well.
My American sister believed in personal dimension of transformation of academic field, in personal dimension of transformation as a whole. She believed that personal choice makes difference in any case. And she was right.
In August 1991 we spent three days of Russian resistance to the past together, in Moscow. We described some reflections of the time in a small book, published in 2014 in Moscow, presentation took place in Moscow Journalist Club in June 2014, when Cathy visited Moscow with a group of American students.
We have been thinking about a new book about Russian- American friendship, stereotypes and misunderstandings, and joined hopes, based on literature, history and personal experience. In general, we had lots of plans for the future.
In 2010 we established web site “ Dialogue of Trust” in 2010, the idea was born in our long telephone talks during Russian- Georgian conflict , after that we decided to arrange free space for open discussion for Russian and American experts, journalists and scholars. We planned to go on with this project as well.
One of her life projects was interpretation of creative activities and heritage of Andrey Sinyavsky, she was the best in the world expert in this field. She also realized and had in mind many other projects, on Pushkin, Nabokov, Russian Literature under Stalin, popular culture and others. For many years she was divided between Harriman Institute leadership and academic work, she tried to do so many things at the same time…
Our book on August 1991 was dedicated to memory of our husbands, Yura and Slava, both passed sway, and to memory of Galina Andreevna Belaya, who published the best book on Russian literature life in the 1920 th- Don Kikhots of the 20 th.
My American sister Cathy , professor Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy knew the very secret of those Don Kikhots of all times of Russian literature, and Russian life.
Remembering Professor Nepomnyashchy
Professor Elena Vaetanova, Dean, MSU Faculty of Journalism
American professor Catharine Theimer Nepombyashchy became friend of Faculty of Journalism of MSU in the 1990. She participated in one of first Russian- American academic projects, and became «American soul» of many International gatherings of scholars of contemporary culture and media issues. There is exaggeration to say that extraordinary process of establishing Russian- Americal cooperation on regular basis one could not imagine without active and inspiring role of Cathy. As Deputy Director of Harriman Institute, then Director of Harriman, she arranged number of conferences and International discussion what showed new approaches and gave fresh start to new projects.
Professor Nepomnyashchy also was pioneering in establishing academic and student contacts between Barnard College, Harriman and MSU. In 2011-2013 Russian and American students and post graduates took part in exchange programs, and Barnard and Faculty of Journalism was discussed on line innovative course on human rights, media and gender.
In June 2014 she brought to Moscow group of American students, they visited the Faculty, met professors and students. Last cord of the visit was presentation of the book « Three Days in August», by Nepomnyashchy and Azhgikhina, also joined project of Harriman and the Faculty.
Many speakers said at the presentation that the book should be first step of new joint inter- discipline program, developing existing contacts and building new bridges of cooperation and trust between scholars and journalists of two countries.
We will be remembering Cathy, and will try to do our best to go in our work on cooperation and research.
Mara Kashper
I am thinking about her, about our almost 30 years together at Barnard! She was a wonderful colleague, a dedicated department chair, and a very good friend.
We drank champagne together (her favorite), we talked about raising children, about new courses, about my fears, when she encouraged me to teach First Year Seminar, about her plans for Harriman, - we shared so many things in our lives...
I will never forget Cathy's advice when my father was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles and I was torn between my filial duties and my responsibilities to my students. Cathy said, "You have to go to LA, it's more important!" She helped me find a substitute for a few classes and I did go to LA to see my ailing father. This incident might sound insignificant, but I always remember how she practically made the decision for me and I remain forever grateful.
Cathy had a good heart, she was devoted to her friends, her colleagues, her students and of course to Olga.
I loved her...
Пусть земля ей будет пухом!
Click here for a 1977 article about Cathy and her husband, Vyacheslav Nepomnyashchy
| kpn-2.pdf |