Russian culture developed under the burden of a series of totalitarian governments, a circumstance that, oddly, supported mathematics education. The Soviet period in particular saw a flowering of mathematical culture, the seeds of which have, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, been carried to the rest of Europe and America. A trickle of ideas, materials—and émigrés—has swollen to a powerful stream. Some of the heaviest influences have occurred in the field of extra-curricular education. We explore some of the ways that Russian and Soviet mathematical culture has fertilized this field. In particular, we look closely at the pivotal role of the professional mathematical communities, both in Russia and in America.

俄罗斯文化在一系列极权政府的负担下发展起来，奇怪的是，这种情况支持数学教育。尤其是在苏联时期，数学文化蓬勃发展，自苏联解体以来，其种子已传播到欧洲和美国的其他地区。思想、材料和流亡者的涓涓细流已经膨胀成一股强大的力量。一些最严重的影响发生在课外教育领域。我们探索了俄罗斯和苏联数学文化对这一领域的滋养的一些方式。特别是，我们密切关注专业数学社区在俄罗斯和美国的关键作用。