14th Conference on Curative Education and Social Therapy in Russia

from 27-30.06.2024

With around 90 colleagues from all over Russia, the conference on 100 years of Rudolf Steiner’s curative education course took place in Samara on the Volga in June 2024 in glorious sunshine. The title was “Identity”.

It was a great pleasure for all those present to meet again and get to know each other. After all, further training in anthroposophical curative education and social therapy is a major force in this country, giving rise to many and very different initiatives – the country is large and the distances are huge! People often know each other from the decentralized training groups offered by “Anthropos” and Tamara Isaeva with colleagues.
It all began in 1998 with a newspaper advertisement from an SOS Children’s Village in Finland, and in 1999 the first conference was held in Irkutsk, from which the Talisman School was founded. The Russian association was founded in 2003. And so much has developed over the past 35 years …

Many colleagues are also bringing the anthroposophical approach to state organizations in a fruitful way. There is an openness and willingness to work in public institutions in a relationship-oriented and community-building way – to name just two aspects.

Through the years of educational work at the various seminars, I have the impression that the colleagues have a very sound knowledge of the anthroposophical foundations, which they implement very prudently in their fields of practice – accompanied or motivated by a deep conviction that this is the right thing to do. This attitude touched me, moves me – and leaves me amazed!
And what is there? Why does it have this effect on me? One small explanation could be that the impulses and places are initiated so freely because they are not first and foremost funded by the state, but exist on the basis of inner conviction and needs! I would like to call it courageous and consistent, with a certain determination it seems to me, which I do not experience externally, but deeply internally.

One morning we started the conference with eurythmy exercises from me on experiences of inclusion – how can I experience this through a movement exercise? And the next morning we sorted our bodies with Bothmer gymnastics.

Tamara Isaeva spoke about the biography of anthroposophical curative education and social therapy in Russia. Other contributions developed thoughts on the connectivity of the curative education course to contemporary issues. There was also a World Café on intuition and practical action with it, and I spoke in my contribution on “Human social identity in the context of modern society”.
Lots of music, singing, dancing and a wonderful boat trip on the Volga provided a harmonious accompaniment to the many contributions – as did the caring hospitality with delicious food at both Waldorf schools. The atmosphere was often like a fairy tale – for me – it happened by magic!

In addition: The most important Russian-language magazine for teachers in Russia also published a report on the conference, which you can read here in Russian and view with beautiful photos. A translation into German with a translation program (a few adaptations by SZ) can be downloaded here as a PDF.

Sonja Zausch, August 2024