War and Peace 2005 cast - Andy Kaufman, Ph.D.

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Professor, writer and actor Dr. Andy Kaufman has been bringing alive Russian language, literature and culture to American college students and adults for fifteen years. A fluent speaker of Russian with a Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literatures from Stanford, Dr. Kaufman has recognized success as both a published scholar and an innovative, award-winning teacher at some of the country's top universities.

In 2004 Dr. Kaufman was a featured Russian language and literature expert for Oprah's Book Club, where he became known to an American audience of over a million readers as a passionate, inspirational and down-to-earth teacher of the Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy. Dr. Kaufman has also been a featured guest on Talk America Radio and on Silver Rain Radio, one of Russia's most popular national talk stations.

Dr. Kaufman has lived extensively in Russia, where he studied at Moscow State University and worked as both an interpreter and management consultant. He has published scholarly articles about Tolstoy, and he is the co-author of Russian for Dummies, scheduled to be published in the spring of 2006.

Dr. Kaufman is also a professional actor. He helps people appreciate the classics of Russian theater, and he draws on his acting skills to create captivating talks and moving readings from the Russian classics. Currently a visiting lecturer at the University of Virginia, Dr. Kaufman inspires his students to appreciate how reading great Russian literature can stimulate them intellectually, deepen them emotionally, and also inspire them towards a nobler, more truthful way of living.