The Internet and religion in Russia and some hands-on cooking and folk dancing are just a few of the topics to be covered when Colby College and the Kotlas-Greater Waterville Sister City Connection host "A Russian Sampler" on the Colby campus on Monday, March 22.

For the seventh year, students from area junior high and middle schools will travel to Colby for an all-day educational program designed to introduce Americans to Russian culture, language, history, arts and crafts, schools and politics. Students will be able to attend four workshops or demonstrations from a list of 19 topics. Colby students and instructors, students and instructors from other Maine colleges and universities, members of the Kotlas-Waterville committee, and visiting high school and college exchange students from Russia will participate and host events.

Activities get underway at 8:30 a.m. in Colby's Lovejoy building. Breakout sessions will include programs on folk dancing, history, schools, medical care, Russian theater, folk art, folk tales, religion and politics in Russia. Other programs cover student travel to Russia, photos of the Russian north and conversational Russian. Junior high students will get to watch live Russian television, available at Colby via satellite, and take a look at Russian on the Internet.

About 200 junior high students are expected to participate, according to Colby's Russian instructors, who are enthusiastic about this annual opportunity to spread knowledge and excitement about Russia.