Moving from the “cultural heart” of Russia, the City of White Nights, to New York City, the city that never sleeps, Dr. Natalia Smirnova definitely lives life to the fullest. Now an assistant professor of business and economics, Dr. Smirnova imports her rich Russian heritage, experience, and education from the “City of the Tsars” to the Mount.

Why has a Russian scholar from St. Petersburg made the Mount her home? “The College gives you a green light for creativity,” Smirnova explains. And creative she is. Smirnova has created and developed the new Center for Russian Studies at the College, an interdisciplinary institute designed to expose Mount students to international affairs. “We’re starting small,” Smirnova explains, “with lectures, seminars, and exhibits.” But “small” beginnings, for this Russian visionary, are anything but modest. The Center’s first guest speakers included a Fulbright Scholar and professor of sociology from St. Petersburg State University and a diplomat from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, whose visit was accompanied by an exhibit celebrating international space month on display in the Elizabeth Seton Library.

Eventually, Dr. Smirnova would like to produce an online journal and develop a research institute for scholars and students, as well as a student exchange program. “White Nights in St. Petersburg” will immerse Mount students in Russian culture during the summer months—months of “white nights” which extend daylight 24/7. “It’s the perfect time and location for international study,” Smirnova explains.  Festivals abound and tourists the world over travel to St. Petersburg, the northernmost major city in the world. A partner program, “Winter in NYC,” will bring Russian students to the Mount. Smirnova is quick to point out that New York’s winters are actually warmer than Russia’s—a definite draw.  Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Dr. Smirnova earned graduate degrees at St. Petersburg University of Economics and Finance and the Russian Academy of Sciences, working as an assistant professor at the St. Petersburg Institute of Trade until 1991.

After the collapse of communism, she left St. Petersburg to pursue educational and scholarly opportunities in the U.S. She first worked as a lecturer and research assistant at the Center for Jewish Studies at the City University of New York Graduate Center, eventually earning a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Connecticut. As Dr. Smirnova was completing her doctorate, she worked as an economic analyst and forecaster for the City of New York.

Freedom is an important value for Smirnova, a concern that informs her study of the economics of transitional Russia—and the problems Russian women now face under capitalism.  “A key problem for post-Soviet Russia,” she explains, “is the shock that happened to the economy when it moved from central planning to a labor market economy. We had state enterprises that were not state anymore.  We had unemployment. There weren’t enough private enterprises to absorb the many state workers.”  Finding Jobs for Women Dr. Smirnova began specializing in job search strategies, particularly for Russian women. “Women are disadvantaged in the new economic conditions,” she explains, “because of imperfections in the labor market, as well as responsibilities such as children and household maintenance.”

Dr. Smirnova’s research focuses on what economists can do to help women find jobs on par with men—but her publications and presentations are wide-ranging, including several studies of Russian unemployment, labor force restructuring, and job search strategies, as well as topics such as Medicaid and the “Determinants of Homeless Family Shelter Levels in New York City.” A Global Perspective Dr. Smirnova brings her global perspective and experience into the classroom as well. “I like teaching Core Economics very much,” she explains, “because I can promote my international mindset—and even my experience in the Mayor’s Office—to show students how governments influence economic systems.” Smirnova is developing a Special Topics course on “Transition Economies” that will examine several post-communist countries. “The Czech Republic, for example, is faring much better than Slovakia or Russia,” she explains. “We can compare countries in terms of time and the treatment women are getting in the labor market.”

Dr. Smirnova credits the Mount for the opportunity to develop innovative courses and the Center for Russian Studies. “There are so many great opportunities at the Mount because it’s such a small college,” she says, “not just for regular courses but also for creative study and research. The intellectual support is substantial.” Achieving equality for women of all cultures is one of Smirnova’s great aims. In general, she explains, American workers fare better than their Russian counterparts. Discrimination in Russia is “plain ridiculous,” Smirnova says. “Job ads in Russia could request a woman who is ‘blond, tall and skinny’—rather than someone with certain knowledge and skills. In this way, the labor market conditions are much more favorable to American women than Russian.”  Smirnova has two daughters, ages six and eight. “As a labor economist focusing on women’s issues,” she says, “I try to show my daughters strong role models.  I bring them to campus so they understand what their mom does. I like to inspire them with the College.”  Although her daughters are enrolled at an American school, they’re attending a Russian school on the weekends. “I see that Russian will be a second language—not a first,” Smirnova says, with a tone of regret. “Some Russians who left when I did have very hard feelings about my country. But my parents are still in Russia, and my childhood, college years, and graduate years there were very happy. I never experienced persecution. I love Russia as the place of my birth. And it has a lot to offer the world.”