Around the installation we had the best conversations: stories about early days at the Institute, an absurd anecdote about a conference that barely anyone recalls, my mother’s recipe tips recast as methodological advice. The installation gave us a focus and a permission to talk differently — not just checklists and obligations but the texture of lives spent in service to a place.
| Holiday Day | Date (approx) | Activity | Install task | |-------------|---------------|----------|--------------| | 1 | Jan 1 (New Year) | Watch presidential address replay, eat Olivier | Install new batteries in all smoke detectors | | 2 | Jan 2 | Visit grandparents | Install a photo-sharing app on parents’ phone | | 3 | Jan 3 | Ice skating with childhood friends | Install thermal window film to reduce drafts | | 4 | Jan 4 | Help mom cook | Install a spice rack (wall-mount) | | 5 | Jan 5 | Movie marathon | Install a streaming stick on main TV | | 6 | Jan 6 (Christmas Eve) | Go to church vigil or prepare sochivo | Install a dimmer switch in the dining room | | 7 | Jan 7 (Orthodox Christmas) | Exchange small gifts, family lunch | Install a bidet seat (warning: may cause family debate) | | 8 | Jan 8 | Read institute research papers | Install reference management software (Zotero/EndNote) | | 9 | Jan 9 | Clean out your old closet | Install a coat rack in the hallway | | 10 | Jan 10 | Call a former professor | Install a VoIP app on parents’ tablet | | 11 | Jan 11 | Long walk in the snow | Install weatherproof door seals | | 12 | Jan 12 | Play chess with dad | Install a chess app for remote games after you leave | | 13 | Jan 13 (Old New Year’s Eve) | Cook kutia, make wishes | Install smart plugs for holiday lights | | 14 | Jan 14 (Old New Year) | Watch old Soviet films | Install a media server (Plex) for family videos | | 15 | Jan 15 | Shovel snow, repair a fence (physical install) | Install new gate latch | | 16 | Jan 16 | Last day to submit institute progress report | Install VPN to access institute’s library remotely | | 17 | Jan 17 | Prepare to leave – pack | Install a tracking tile in mom’s purse | | 18 | Jan 18 (Epiphany Eve) | Cut ice hole (if local tradition) | Install a water filter on kitchen tap | | 19 | Jan 19 (Epiphany) | Take blessed water from church | Install a small shelf for an icon or family photos | russian institute 19 holidays at my parents xx install
You promised your parents you would install 20 things around their home over the holidays. Examples: Around the installation we had the best conversations:
Strategy: Create a checklist. Do 1–2 installs per day over the 19 days. Turn it into a bonding activity. Teach your parents why each “install” matters. This is especially relevant if you’re from a tech-focused Russian institute (like MIPT or Bauman Moscow State Technical University). You promised your parents you would install 20
In the world of ethnographic and sociocultural research, few projects are as peculiar yet profound as the recent initiative unofficially dubbed “Russian Institute 19 Holidays at My Parents XX Install.” While the name puzzles outsiders, insiders recognize it as a codename for a longitudinal study conducted by the Moscow-based Institute of Festive Anthropology (IFA). The project explores how Russian families preserve, modify, or reject holiday traditions across generations—specifically through the lens of a 19-holiday cycle, documented via a decentralized “install” system installed in participants’ parental homes.
This article unpacks every element of the keyword: the role of the Russian Institute, the significance of 19 holidays, the personal anchor “at my parents” , and the technical meaning of “XX install.” By the end, you will understand why this obscure academic project is gaining traction among cultural archivists, UX designers, and memory studies researchers.
If the keyword brought you here because you actually want to participate in this research, here is the official process (as of IETS’s 2025 public call):