Russian

This course examines two very important changes on the political map of Eastern Europe focusing on the period from the fall of Communism in 1989 to 2007 (the independence of Kosovo) and the break-ups of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. It explores the reasons behind the brutal Yugoslav wars and the "velvet divorce" of Czechoslovakia, and offers insight into films, art happenings, images, and texts created during this period. Contextualized within these two very different and yet comparable cases of political demise, these cultural products are examined as complex responses to the events, but also as strategies (aesthetic, political, and psychological) to deal with the crisis and the imminent transformations. The course explores these cultural outputs as effective tools in voicing and shaping emerging identities and mapping out the real and symbolic geographies of the region.

Third level of Russian language covering correct pronunciation, intonation and correct grammatical expressions.

This course offers an introduction to the evolution of political life in contemporary Russia. This course reviews Russian politics both through the eyes of Russian political scholars and Western scholarship. Students examine Russian politics in relation to cultural values and lifestyle, i.e., through the normative lens of average Russian citizens. The course analyzes current political issues in order to understand contemporary Russia and explore an outlook of future developments. The course discusses topics including the democratization process, electoral and party systems, political decision-making, foreign affairs, and the role of mass media and public opinion. Course meetings consist of lectures; class discussions; presentations by politicians, political consultants, and political scientists; and excursions.

This course is a level six seminar. It is intermediate to advanced Russian language course intended for non-SSEES majors. The course teaches advanced Russian grammar topics and increases vocabulary through in class discussions in Russian. The course is assessed through "continuous assessments" including grammar assessments and presentations in Russian. This is the term 1 version of the full year course

The course introduces students to three works of 20th-century literature and culture to be read in Russian, while improving reading and comprehension skills. It includes a combination of canonical and non-canonical texts by men and women, and explores the cultural and institutional contexts in which texts were produced, published, viewed, and read. Students share impressions through class, online discussions, and informal presentations. This course prepares students for Honors content courses where longer and more complex texts are read in Russian. While optional, students intending to pursue single or joint honors including Russian are encouraged to take this course.

This course analyzes key themes in Russian history, from the emergence of the Kievan Rus' in the ninth century to the Revolution of 1917. The course provides a survey of economic, political, social, religious, and intellectual history of the country during this period. The primary emphasis is given to political, social, and cultural changes and transformations. The course discusses the emergence of Kievan and Novgorodian states, and the rise of the Muscovite autocratic state and its transformation into the Russian Empire beginning with Peter the Great. The course explores themes including the introduction of Christianity, the Mongolian invasion, the emergence of Muscovy under Ivan III and the institutionalization of autocracy under Ivan the Terrible, the great church schism of the seventeenth century, the westernization of Russia under Peter I, the Enlightenment and the despotism of Catherine the Great, the Russian increased intrusion into European politics in the nineteenth century, the era of the great reforms of the 1860s, and the end of Russian Empire in 1917. The major political problems of the Russian state are analyzed based on the corpus of first and secondary texts, as well as on visual materials, such as films, photos and posters.