RUSSN 111: Beginning Russian I
This course offers an introduction to grammar and reading through oral and written work. Offered annually in the fall semester.
RUSSN 112: Beginning Russian II
This course offers an introduction to grammar and reading through oral and written work. Offered annually in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 111 or equivalent.
RUSSN 180: The Cultures of Medieval Rus'
In this course, we examine the evolution of the medieval cultures of the East Slavic lands, called Rus', from the arrival of Christianity to the founding of the Russian Empire. We examine changing conceptions of time and discourses of light and darkness in folklore, literature, architecture, sacred art, and ritual, to understand the evolving forms of life and worldview in medieval Rus'. A field trip to the Museum of Russian Art is planned.
RUSSN 231: Intermediate Russian I
Students continue their grammar, oral, and written work with an emphasis on conversation and reading selections from classical and contemporary Russian authors. Offered annually in the fall semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 112 or equivalent.
RUSSN 232: Intermediate Russian II
Students continue their grammar, oral, and written work with an emphasis on conversation and reading selections from classical and contemporary Russian authors. Class meets four times weekly. Offered annually in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 231 or equivalent.
RUSSN 250: Topics in Russian Literature (Taught in English)
This course examines the development of differing approaches to some aspect of Russian life and culture as presented in the classical texts of Russian literature. Actual topics vary according to year and instructor. Offered periodically.
Prerequisites: WRIT 120, equivalent or permission of the instructor.
RUSSN 261: The Golden Age of Russian Literature (Taught in English)
This course explores a remarkable period of literary history: Russia's 19th century or the "golden age" of Russian literature. In rapid succession, Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov produced one masterpiece after another, dazzling Western audiences and shaping the modern mind. Beyond the arts, diverse fields - philosophy, theology, psychology, political science - have been influenced by the Russian classics. Topics include doubt, nihilism, despair, faith, God, death, and the meaning of life. Taught in English. Offered alternate years.
RUSSN 262: 20th-Century Russian Literature (Taught in English)
This course explores the development of Russian literature from the beginning to the end of the 20th century: from pre-revolutionary anxiety through revolutions, wars, and terror, to political thaw, collapse, and the post-Soviet wilderness. Authors include Bely, Platonov, Pasternak, Bulgakov, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Solzhenitsyn, Bitov, Nabokov, Tolstaya, and Petrushevskaya. Themes include revolution, war, totalitarianism, terror, modernity, technology, alienation, tradition, suffering, resilience, and the meaning of life. Taught in English. Offered alternate years.
RUSSN 265: Soviet and Russian Film Directed by Women (Taught in English)
This course considers masterworks of Russian and Soviet cinema that were directed by women. In what subtle and/or overt ways did being socialized as a woman affect a director's perspective? In what subtle and/or overt ways are the challenges that women faced in the USSR and in contemporary Russia reflected in their films? Topics include basic cinema analysis, Russian cinema criticism, Russian film theory, and gender theory.
RUSSN 271: Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (Taught in English)
This course explores Dostoevsky's magnum opus, The Brothers Karamazov, in its literary, historical, philosophical, and religious contexts. Acclaimed for its spiritual and psychological depth, The Brothers Karamazov is considered by some (e.g., Einstein and Freud) to be the greatest novel ever written. Course topics include faith, doubt, nihilism, the problem of evil, suffering, death, God, ethics, the law, guilt, forgiveness, and the interrelation of heaven and earth, of time and eternity. The Brothers Karamazov will be taught in English translation. Offered periodically. Offered in January term.
RUSSN 280: Mystics & Madmen: An Introduction to Russian Intellectual History
In this course, students examine the rich intellectual history of the Russian Empire from its founding in 1721 to around 1850. In those years, no question was more urgent to Russian thinkers than the place of Russia in the world. Students explore the intellectual, spiritual, and historical currents that shaped this question through readings drawn from the debate between two opposing intellectual camps; the traditionalist Slavophiles and their reform-minded rivals, the Westernizers. Offered periodically during spring semester.
RUSSN 294: Academic Internship
RUSSN 298: Independent Study
RUSSN 301: Conversation and Composition
This course facilitates oral and written use of the language through conversation and composition, English to Russian translation, selections from Russian literature, and original themes. Offered annually in the fall semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 232 or permission of instructor.
RUSSN 302: Russian Culture and Civilization
This survey of Russian culture and civilization uses original Russian texts on history, the arts, religion, and education, as well as documentary films and selections from literature. The course fosters the acquisition of the language of Russian cultural and intellectual discourse at the third level. Offered annually in spring semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 301 or permission of the instructor.
RUSSN 330: Queer Russian Literature (Taught in English)
The fate of the queer community in Russia has been characterized by constant twists and turns between decriminalization and "re-criminalization". Homophobic Russian rhetoric embraces the popular view that homosexuality is essentially un-Russian. On the other hand, Western discourse often Orientalizes Russia as 'traditional', 'premodern' or 'underdeveloped' in its homophobia. This course, which considers queer Russian literature from modernist to contemporary authors, pushes back against both of these restrictive points of view.
Prerequisite: One 200-level course in Russian Studies or Gender and Sexuality Studies.
RUSSN 371: Dostoevsky (Taught in English)
Students read and discuss Dostoevsky's major novels from Poor Folk through Brothers Karamazov. Offered alternate years.
RUSSN 372: Topics in Contemporary Russian Society
This course covers a variety of topics that are both culturally and intellectually challenging. The goal of this course is to explore a variety of topics significant for Russian society and culture as well as to further develop the language of intellectual discourse through the treatment of complex issues in the press and social media. Taught in Russian. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered annually in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: RUSSN 302 or permission of the instructor.
RUSSN 394: Academic Internship
RUSSN 396: Directed Undergraduate Research
This course provides a comprehensive research opportunity, including an introduction to relevant background material, technical instruction, identification of a meaningful project, and data collection. The topic is determined by the faculty member in charge of the course and may relate to his/her research interests. Offered based on department decision. May be offered as a 1.00 credit course or .50 credit course.
Prerequisite: determined by individual instructor.
RUSSN 398: Independent Research
Independent Research is required for all students seeking credit for a senior project.