Exploring Russia

Catalog description

The war with Ukraine has brought Russia’s relationship with its former imperial realm (as well as its own internal minorities) into sharp focus, prompting the scholarly community to examine our prior biases and prejudices. Russia’s aggression has intensified calls for a decolonization of our thinking, writing, and teaching about the former Soviet space. Scholars of Ukraine, the Baltics, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, among many others, have called to reappraise prior historiography’s Russo-centrism and the often-neglected implications of Soviet nationality policies; the lingering Russian/Soviet imperial legacy. This course will introduce students to the multiplicity of perspectives and experiences of the ex-Soviet nationalities and Russia’s ethnic minority groups. A variety of readings, film screenings, musical videos, and guest lectures will be part of the class. No knowledge of Russian is needed or required.