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M W F | 09:40 am-10:40 am | HUM 228 | Maria Fedorova

A structured introduction to the basics of the Russian sound system and grammar, as well as speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Some exposure to Russian culture. For beginning students. No prerequisites. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers.

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M W F | 09:40 am-10:40 am | HUM 217 | Julia Chadaga

In the second year of Russian, students learn to operate in basic social and cultural environments. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers.

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RUSS 252: Revolution, Repression, and Resistance - Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature and Culture

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RUSS 252: Revolution, Repression, and Resistance - Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature and Culture

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M W F | 02:20 pm-03:20 pm | HUM 302 | Julia Chadaga

In times of revolution and repression, Soviet writers and artists turned their work into a forceful means of resistance; dissidents today draw inspiration from these courageous predecessors who risked their lives to speak.

In this course, we will explore the literature, visual art, music, and films created in Russia and the surrounding region from the Soviet period into the present day. We start with the political and artistic revolutions in the final days of imperial Russia, then move through the eras of the bloody Bolshevik revolution, the repressive Stalinist regime, and the devastation of World War II. Next, we look at the cultural thaw of the 1960s, the new freedoms of the perestroika era, and the fall of the Soviet Union. We then turn our attention to contemporary Russia under Putin.

We will examine cultural texts in their artistic, social, and political contexts, seeking to better understand Russia’s relationship with the West, the experience of ethnic minorities in the Soviet and post-Soviet period, and Russia’s history of authoritarianism, as well as the struggle against it. Studying culture produced in Russia and the region in the Soviet and post-Soviet period will help us to empathize with those who lived through that tumultuous era and kept creative expression alive in the midst of unimaginable hardships. We will also be attentive to the contemporary situation in the wake of Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has changed global dynamics so profoundly. We will use our course materials to shed light on current events in the post-Soviet sphere, striving to understand how we got here and what hope there might be for the future.

This course will include a group project with the aim of supporting refugees displaced by Russia’s war on Ukraine. All readings and discussion will be in English; no previous knowledge of Russian literature or history is required.

Counts toward WP and Internationalism distribution requirements. Crosslisted with ENGL 294-07.

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T R | 1:20-2:50 PM | THEATR 203 | James von Geldern

The USSR's 1991 dissolution ended one of history's great experiments. Socialism sought to dissolve ethnicity and overcome ethnic conflict with a focus on equality. Instead it exacerbated nationalism and created-separated identities. But how? Topics include ethno-creation, control, and resistance; ethnic animosities and the USSR's destruction; new states after 1991; "diaspora" populations beyond ethnic homelands; local rebellions; new "native" dictatorships; and recent international organizations.

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M W F | 01:10 pm-02:10 pm | THEATR 203 | Maria Fedorova

What is Northern Eurasia? Who inhabited the territory of present-day Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries, the Caucasus, and parts of Central Asia? How did groups of diverse ethnic, religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds interact with one another? This course aims to answer these questions and explore the history of peoples and spaces in Northern Eurasia from the medieval period to the fall of the Soviet Union.

Stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Northern Eurasia has been a place of intensive cultural exchange for many centuries. During this time, various groups came into contact that resulted in trade, wars, imperial rule, and revolutionary insurrections, as well as socialist experiments. The complex history of relations among peoples is the subject of this course. Drawing on a variety of primary sources, literary works, and films, we will discuss such topics as Eurasian identities; indigenous peoples; ideas of Russianness, imperialism and Orientalism; the Eurasianist movement of the early 20th century; and the Soviet nation-building project.

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T R | 09:40 am-11:10 am | THEATR 101 | James von Geldern
This course builds upon the language skills acquired in RUSS 204 by solidifying confidence in speaking and conversing, deepening student vocabulary and reading skills through authentic readings from a variety of genres, strengthening listening skills through exposure to film, TV and other media, and introducing students to higher-level essay writing. By the end of the course, students will be expected to master fundamental grammatical concepts, and will be exposed to more advanced concepts such as participles, verbal adverbs, diminutives, and stylistics. The course is topical in nature, and topics will change from year to year. They may include literature, current events, history, film, theater, and mass media. In the anticipation that students will study in a Russian-speaking country the following semester, a primary goal of the course is to facilitate the achievement of advanced proficiency while studying abroad.