Interest groups

Groups & activities

Join some of our free interest groups and paid activity groups - this is the best way to make friends and to have fun!
Interest groups are open to all members and are free. The spirit of interest groups relies on the enthusiasm and willingness of all IWC members to share their knowledge, skills, and time with other members within interest groups.

If you are interested in joining some of our interest groups, please contact us by sending an email to iwcigmoscow@gmail.com to obtain contact information about group leaders.

We strongly encourage our members to share their knowledge, skills, hobbies, and time with other members by starting an interest group. So, if you have exciting, creative ideas and the ambition to start an interest group please send an email to iwcigmoscow@gmail.com for details.
Some paid activity groups can also be offered in the IWC. These are activities that include a specialist teacher, guide, instructor, or another expert of Russian nationality who charge a fee for their services. These experts become IWC’s partners and advertise their services publicly on the IWC website. To join these paid activity groups, you should contact the particular experts directly.

We look forward to welcoming you and wish you a great time with the interest groups and paid activity groups!

INTEREST GROUPS 2022/2023

Interest groups are formed each club year according to IWC members’ interests, as well as the availability of group leaders.
All our interest groups are for free, only payments for material costs are involved.

Interest groups are open to all members. Only current IWC members that are in the possession of a valid membership badge may sign up for and attend interest groups meetings.

Most groups run from the beginning of September until June.

If you are willing to share your knowledge, skill, hobby, interest, and time with other IWC members by starting a new interest group please contact our interest groups coordinator (iwcigmoscow@gmail.com).

If you want to join some of the current interest groups, please email the interest group coordinator (iwcigmoscow@gmail.com) for obtaining the contact information of the group leader

IG list of the 2022/2023 IWC season:

Russian Language Conversation - Beginners

Leader: Julia Sheina, mos.julia.2013@gmail.com
Day and time: Second and Fourth Mondays of the month—13:30-15:00
Location: Kleb Nashyshniy Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 16
Level: A0-A1

We will use simple sentences to use Russian for your everyday life and practice. We focus on the situations you will face while living in Moscow. Fun, practical and an easy way to get plenty of Russian language practice.

Sahaya Yoga Meditation

Leader: Neelam Fedorova, neelamvictor@hotmail.com, +7 968 360 03 11
Day and time: Every Tuesday 11:00 – 12:30
Location: Nastasyinsky per (Настасьинский пер) 8/1

Sahaja Yoga meditation is very easy, and anyone can do it despite their profession and family life.

People with different paths in life can acquire benefits, irrespective of their religion, caste or creed.
Health improves. Physical diseases relating to Heart, diabetes, blood pressure, stomach ailments, and other mental illnesses due to stress, tension, worries, as also insomnia, depression, fits, and many other psycho somatic diseases have been easily cured.
Natural cure from various addictions.
Improvement and harmony in family life and social relations.
No need for any sort of rituals, penances, fasts, asceticism or physical deprivations.
Progress in studies due to improvement in memory.
Latest artistic talents get fully developed.
We become courageous and confident.
Peace, contentment and joy are hallmarks of Sahaja Yoga.
It is an entirely scientific technique with no scope for blind faith.
Self-realization through Sahaja Yoga is entirely free.

Eat & Explore

Leaders: Marina Whelan, +7 916 581 97 30, marivikw@gmail.com
Daria Taneren, +7 905 747 23 36
Day and time: Third Friday of each month from 11:00-14:00
Location: Varies

Dear friends, we are happy to introduce our Interest Group called Eat and Explore. The concept of the group is to socialize, make new friends among members of IWC and explore Moscow. There are numerous good restaurants offering lunches held between 12:00 – 16:00 with fixed-menu and prices during the working days of the week; the range of the price is between 600-1000 rubles. Every month we look for and find new places with local or international cuisine, nice atmosphere and design of the restaurant. Our interest is in trying new places that we can return there on other occasions with our families and friends. Eat and Explore registration is ongoing and the group uses WhatsApp - there we’ll place the announcements of our scheduled lunches and venues. We take pictures of ourselves during the event and later also share them with each other or with IWC Leaders for the Newsletter. We would be happy to see you this year. We all need friendship, inspiration and good food!!

Green Group

Leader: Masha Megrelis, +7 916 621 51 80
Day and time: 2^nd Thursday of the month; 11am
Location: Varies

Our daily choices can and do have an impact on the environment. Buying secondhand and buying items with less packaging (or no packaging) are simple ways to live a greener life. Come with us to discover eco-friendly places in Moscow! We will go on monthly visits to secondhand and zero waste stores, vegetarian restaurants and we will keep you updated on environment related events happening in Moscow (expositions, fairs etc…)

Sunrise Yoga

Leader: Tobi Shawabkah, +7 925 071 33 66
Day and time: Every Friday at 8am except for holidays.
Location: Zoom, unless a member wishes to host in person.

Grab a mat, find a quiet place and let’s greet the morning with joy, strength and tranquility! No yoga experience necessary as we’ll start from the beginning. Easy postures, uncomplicated salutations and gentle stretches await you.

Moscow Animal Help Group

Leader: Masha Megrelis, +7 916 621 51 80
Day and time: 3^rd Saturday of the month; 11am
Location: Varies

There are thousands of dogs living in both state and private shelters in Moscow. Many are never adopted and spend their entire life in the shelters. We will visit shelters once a month to walk the dogs and give them the individual love and attention that they so very much need. After the initial group visit, those who are interested will have the opportunity to visit the shelters as often as they would like on their own or together. Our group will also let you know about opportunities to sponsor individual elderly dogs, moving them out of the state shelter and into foster care to live out their last few years with a better quality of live. There are many opportunities to make a concrete difference in the lives of these dogs! Please join us in improving the lives of these abandoned dogs!

FRENCH CONVERSATION

Leaders: Caroline Raux, +7 916 152 67 75
Day and time: 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of each month; 2:30-3:30
Location: Café Paul near Novokuznetskaya Metro: Ulitsa Pyantnitskaya, 20

Come along and practice your French speaking skills with us!! We will practice day-to-day vocabulary, French culture, and French food of course as well as any topics you wish to discuss in a friendly atmosphere while eating croissants!! OOoo La La!!!

Russian Language Conversation - Advanced Beginners

Leader: Julia Sheina, mos.julia.2013@gmail.com
Day and time: First and third Mondays of the month—13:30-15:00
Location: Kleb Nashyshniy Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 16
Level: A1-A2

This group practices everyday conversations and useful basic words. We revise vocabulary and make sentences using them by topics: in a restaurant, in a library, on the street, etc. We socialize in Russian around a cup of tea/coffee in the warm, friendly company of each other. You are welcome to join us!

Russian Literature & Lunch Group

Leader: Jane O’Hara, oharajane48@yahoo.com
Day and time: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, 12:30-15:00 (except for holidays)
Location: All group members take turns to host

We are an international group of about 12 ladies who meet at a group member’s home, where the hostess treats us to a light lunch (a soup and a salad or dessert) and we discuss works of Russian literature, ranging from classics by Dostoevsky or Tolstoy to Soviet era and contemporary novels. The discussions are carried out in English, but of course everyone is free to read the book at home in whatever language they choose (some do so in Russian). We discuss the author and the piece of literature and may even include a visit to their historical home, or a museum or exhibition. Our approach is very democratic: we take it in turns to host, and we take it in turns to present a biography and lead a discussion. All views are welcome.

International Cooking Club

Leader: Amrita Pandey, +7 965 263 21 54
Day and time: once a month, Third Wednesday from 11am to 2pm
Location: Members will take turns in hosting and cooking

We are offering monthly cooking classes shared between members, by members, in our own homes. The host will shop for all ingredients, prepare her own selection of food, and share the menu with the participants of the specific class she is hosting. Lunch will follow the cooking demonstration. Cost of ingredients will be divided equally among participants. Cost should be approximately 500 R per person, depending on the ingredients. Number of participants will be limited based on the space available in the host member’s home.

Russian Art History Group

Leader: Anna Eramzhyan, +7 916 609 14 29, aeramzhyan@gmail.com
Day and time: Once a month - fourth Thursday of each month; 11:00-13:00
Location: The first meeting is held at the NB Gallery. Metro Kropotkinskaya, all the tours will be held in different museums (mostly in the center, inside the Garden Ring)

The aim of our one-year project is to give you the understanding of Russian Art and to show you the jewels of the Russian Culture you might miss otherwise. You will discover the best museums and sights which are deprived of public popular attention but are a must-see when it comes to the Russian art scene. Our course is a combination of lectures, tours to the best, but mostly hidden or hard-to-get-into museums and architectural walks. You’ll have a unique opportunity to get first-hand experience in the Russian realist school of the second half of the 20th century based on the NB Gallery’s extensive realist collection.

Приятного аппетита (Bon Appetit) - Russian National Cuisine

Leaders: Tatyana Volovik, +7 985 304 11 62, Olga Tarasova, +7 916 164 33 03
Day and time: Fourth Friday of the Month; 10:00-12:00
Location: Near Chisti Pryudi area

Welcome to the national cuisine of Russia!! Under the careful guidance of Tatyana and Olga, members will cook( or just watch) various dishes/courses one would expect of a traditional, Russian meal. Participants pay only for the ingredients, usually 500 RUB, and will learn salads, soups, stews and beverages. Of course, the delicacies created will be shared together!!!

CRAFTY MONDAYS

Leaders: Eleonora Rodriguez, +7 917 500 99 20
Day and time: Every Monday 11:00-14:00
Location: Various member homes or at shops/exhibitions

The group is about getting together and making friends. We spend time talking, exchanging ideas and working on our projects or starting new ones. We do all kinds of needlework and crafts; cross stitch, tapestry, crochet, knitting, quilting, etc. All levels are invited to participate. The group sometimes visits shops for supplies, attends a class of professional instruction or visits an exhibition/museum of handicraft significance.

BEGINNING ARABIC

Leaders: Nelly El Geheny, +7 925 328 55 47
Day and time: 2^nd and 4^th Monday of the month
Location: Near Dostoevskaya Metro

Bring a notebook, a pen and your can-do attitude!! We’ll start from the very beginning with the alphabet, letter sounds, basic grammar and work up to reading simple texts, signs and talking about yourself and your experiences in Arabic.

Understanding Russia

Leader: Lena Touchmacheva (Kolikova)
Day and time: 2nd & 4th Wednesday 10:30 pm- 1:30 pm, 1st & 3rd Saturday
Location: various locations

Our program will be interesting and very helpful not only for newcomers but also for those who have lived in Russia for a while and are eager to find answers to many questions about our mysterious Russian soul. This group is run by our favorite historian, Lena, who takes us back in time as she explains the historical background of our visits with her entertaining fact-based stories. If you would like to join this group, please contact: Patriarchy Dom Tours Tatiana Piontkovskaya +7 903 774 70 06, Tatiana.pdtours@co.ru

Standing rules of practice

INTEREST GROUP (IG)
STANDING RULES OF PRACTICE (2022/2023)

Basic points

All IWC’s IGs are organized by the IWC’s members for the IWC’s members with the purpose to promote volunteering and friendship between women from all parts of the world.

IGs are established based on the enthusiasm and willingness of members to share their knowledge, skill, hobbies, interests, and time with other IWC members. Every IWC member is encouraged to share her knowledge, skill, hobbies, interest, and time with other IWC members by starting an IG. A new IG can only be established in consultation with the IGs coordinator.

The establishment and management of IGs must be conducted as per the IWC Constitution and the IG standing rules of practice. Any violation of the Constitution or the rules will result in the removal of the relevant IG from the IGs’ list.

It is forbidden to make an individual profit or promote any kind of business through IGs, as is advertising and promoting any profit organization or company.

IGs are formed each club year according to IWC members’ interests, as well as the availability of group leaders.
The IGs consist of group members and a group leader. Together they are responsible for organizing their group’s activities.

Interest Group Members

To participate in IGs, one must be a current member of the IWC. Membership takes effect upon payment of the full membership fees for the current club year (1 September-31 August). All IWC members are in possession of a badge and a lanyard (ribbon) for the current club year. Members should wear ribbons at all IGs meetings.

IWC members interested in a specific IG should contact the IGs coordinator in order to obtain contact information about the leader of the respective group.

IG members should contact the IGs coordinator regarding any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Interest Group Leaders

All IGs must have a group leader.
The leader organizes the IG activities together with the IG members, but it is the sole responsibility of the leader to do the following:

Ensure that the work of the IG is being conducted in accordance with the IWC Constitution and the IG standing rules of practice;
Ensure the smooth functioning of the IG;
Keep an up-to-date list of the group members and their contact information;
Communicate any change and relevant information concerning the group to the IGs coordinator;
Provide the IGs coordinator with information/notice/photographs about IG for the IWC newsletter/bulletin;
Provide a list of group members to the IGs coordinator upon request;
Find a replacement prior to the departure from the IG, if possible.

If the group attendance drops to the point of it no longer being a viable group, said the group will be removed from the IGs’ list. If the IG leader does not find a replacement before departure, the group members should find a new leader within one month. If the group members cannot find a new leader amongst themselves, the group will proceed to be removed from the IGs’ list.
The IG leaders should contact the IGs’ coordinator regarding any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Material cost

IWC’s IGs allow payments only insofar as their purpose is to cover material expenses, some examples of which are: books in book clubs, materials for making or learning something, entrance fees, official museum tours, food and beverage costs for lunch groups, etc.

For advertising of paid activity groups (in which members should pay for professional services, like for instance: teaching/instructing/guidance) on the IWC website and social media, IWC Partnership Chair should be contacted at iwcpartnership@gmail.com