Introduction to Russian History, Culture, and Civilization

Catalog description

This intermediate level history and culture course will introduce students to the multiple facets of Russian identity. Embracing the period from East Slavic settlements in the ninth century to contemporary Russia under Yeltsin, Putin and Medvedev, the course will survey major themes that contributed to the creation of the Russian archetype. The idiosyncrasies of Russia's geographic location, the enduring presence of Russian Orthodoxy, the complex relationship with the West, debates about "Russianness" among the Russian intelligentsia and the context of the Soviet Union and its disintegration, will be explored through literary texts, film, and significant works of art.