Russian Honor Society: Dobro Slovo

Dobro Slovo was established at the University of California, Berkeley in 1926. In 1963, the National Slavic Honor Society – Dobro Slovo – was founded with the help and encouragement of the American Associaton of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL). With over 130 local chapters and a total membership of over 6,200, the society recognizes and encourages academic excellence in the study of Slavic languages, literature, history, and culture. 

The name of the society is represented by the two glagolitic letters, Dobro (on the upper left corner of the key), which means "beautiful," and Slovo (on the lower right corner), which means "word." The firebird (zharptitsa), a well-known figure from Slavic folk tales, appears on the upper right corner of the key, representing the ancient roots of Slavic culture. The lower left corner of the key, designed to look like a page about to be turned, represents the ongoing search through books and manuscripts in pursuit of greater understanding Slavic Language, Literature, and Culture.

Students are nominated by Stanford Language Center lecturers and DLCL faculty members based on the criteria below.

• Two years (or equivalent) of study of Slavic languages, literature, culture, or related subjects
• Minimum average grade of 85% (B) or its letter or point equivalent in Slavic courses
• 3.0 cumulative GPA
• Indication of active and continuing interest in Slavic Studies
• Graduating senior