Our Statement on the Russian Military Invasion of Ukraine:
We stand with the Ukrainian people against Putin, his regime, and the
Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian School of Mathematics (RSM) was founded by two immigrants:
Inessa Rifkin, born in Minsk, Belarus, and Irina Khavinson, born in
Chernigov, Ukraine and educated in the specialized math schools of St.
Petersburg. Both women uprooted their families over thirty years ago,
and fled the Soviet Union as Jewish refugees in search of a free and
democratic society in which to raise their children. They settled in
Boston, Massachusetts, and have considered themselves proud Americans since.
We are an American company, and we pride ourselves on being a company of
immigrants. The majority of our teachers, principals, and office
administrators emigrated from the former Soviet republics and Eastern
Europe and came to the U.S. to pursue a better life for their families.
We ask the greater RSM community to remember that regardless of their
country of origin, no one is responsible for this war but Putin and his
regime.
Many ask about the “Russian” in our school’s name. We named our school
to reflect the historic tradition of Russian mathematics that we all
share. This is a tradition that predates Russia’s current government and
will exist long after it.
Russia’s invasion into Ukraine is a source of great, real, and concrete
pain for all of us. Many of our teachers have loved ones in Ukraine.
Wherever we are from originally, if we are lucky to find ourselves in
the safety of the world outside of the former Soviet bloc - we are
keenly aware that their fate could have been ours. It could have been
our children, spouses, and siblings caught up in a war they didn't ask for.
But given the nature of our company, we also find ourselves uniquely
positioned to help. Between RSM employees and family of employees, we
have a strong and connected network of individuals in Bulgaria, Armenia,
and other countries in the region ready and waiting to house any
Ukrainian refugees who can make it to the Ukrainian border.
We are extremely grateful to our staff in the region who have already
been helping for days - many driving long distances to the Polish
border, to provide a warm home for Ukrainian women and children fleeing
the war. We will continue to do everything in our power to help the
people of Ukraine caught in this senseless war.
If you know of anyone in need we ask that you reach out to us soon as
possible at о
utreach@russianschoоl.com.
https://www.russianschool.com/