The darkness of the arctic winters gives Russian holidays special meaning. From Christmas festivities to New Year celebrations, from palaces to peasant villages, these holidays feature folk customs, family traditions, foods, fairs, and religious rituals. Join Carol Rudie, the education outreach coordinator at the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, and explore these traditions and their changes that occurred during the Soviet Union.

As the coordinator of outreach education at The Museum of Russian Art, Carol Veldman Rudie uses her teaching skills to research and present background on Russian art and culture. She has been the lead docent at TMORA since 2005 and developed its docent training program. As the coordinator of Outreach Education, she has received multiple invitations to share her research, and as a special interest, Carol has led tours to Russia. Carol has her MA from the University of Minnesota and subsequently did PhD level graduate work, including a minor in Art History. Sharing her love for the visual, performance and literary arts motivates her involvement with TMORA.