PITTSFIELD — There are more similarities than differences between Russians and Americans, according to Tanya Kozlova, an exchange teacher from Moscow who is visiting SAD 53 in Pittsfield.

Kozlova is feeling very much at home during her stay in Maine because the climate and terrain are so similar to her homeland. As the second exchange teacher to work with SAD 53 and Maine Central Institute, she will remain in the district until mid-January to instruct classes in Russian history and culture.

“I am a college teacher,” she said, “so this is a challenging experience I am enjoying very much.”

Kozlova was selected last spring when a contingent of SAD 53 and Maine Central Institute teachers and students made the second exchange trip to Russia from Pittsfield. She was not actually applying for the position, as she tells it. She attended an interview with a friend with the Youth for Understanding organization.

The organization has developed a variety of youth exchanges between the formerly communist country and the USA, but only recently added teacher exchanges to the opportunities. After meeting with SAD 53 Superintendent Terry McCannell, Kozlova found herself planning a fall exchange trip.

But it was to be her second trip to the United States by the time she arrived.

In the summer months, she traveled to West Virginia with a group of Russian businesspeople and officials studying the U.S. tax system. She was in charge of translating the various lectures.

“They want to know more about the U.S. taxation system,” she said. “We don’t have a very good one yet.”

Never having been to the United States before the West Virginia trip, she was surprised to not find all of the beautiful people of Santa Barbara, an American television show popular in Russia, she said.

“I was surprised to see a lot of different types. A lot of them very Russian. We are very similar, because our country also was created by immigrants, like a big melting pot,” she said.

People are much friendlier than she expected.

“I thought many people would not like Russians because of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. It was a very nice surprise for me and the other members of my group. People were very warm and friendly and very helpful. They are open and sincere, and very hard working, too. I like that,” she said.

In the classrooms of SAD 53, she finds herself fielding a wide variety of questions, from informed and uninformed students. Children often ask, “Do you guys have TV? Do you speak Chinese? Do you celebrate Columbus Day or the Fourth of July?”

“It’s a nice opportunity to tell them a little more about how Russians live, and our holidays and how we celebrate,” she said. “They want to know what our Christmas tree looks like. Christmas is very similar. The same trees, cards, gifts and Christmas stockings and Santa Claus. The cooking is a little different. They don’t understand why we have goose, not turkey.”

As a rule, it appears that Russians, like many foreigners, know more about Americans and their culture than is true of Americans learning about foreign cultures. American children and teachers don’t appear to take their studies as seriously as Russians, she said.

The system of education is very similar, she said, with the same length of school year and day, but American students are very upset to learn Russians also attend school on Saturday.

Kozlova was surprised to learn how little homework is given in U.S. schools compared with Russian schools. Russian teachers are more likely to take advantage of homework, particularly over long weekends or holidays, to strengthen the lessons of the classroom, she said.