Russian

RUSS 250 - An Intro. to Russian, Eastern European, & Eurasian Cultures (4)

This course examines the successive states and communities which have inhabited the space between Central Europe and East Asia, including Kievan Rus', Muscovy, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation and new neighboring states. We look at questions of ethnicity, religious pluralism, and regional diversity as well as economic and social issues, such as the role of women in society, the changes in class system and the legacy of the serf system. We will study the history and culture of this region through lectures, discussions and readings, using primary historical texts and works of literature and art, including film, music, painting and architecture. We will also pay special attention to what is being written about Russia (on all issues) on the internet today-and how Russian is being written about and portrayed in contemporary media practices.

Offered: alternate spring semesters.

RUSS 102 - Fundamentals of Oral and Written Russian II (4)

An intensive study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar with an emphasis on speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension. Students will complete the study of the Russian case system and learn word processing in Cyrillic. Supplementary materials on Russian culture, including songs and poetry. Extensive use of Web-based materials.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or placement exam RUSS 101 and RUSS 103.

RUSS 104 - Basic Russian Conversation II (2)

This two credit course allows students enrolled in RUSS 102 additional practice in developing conversational and listening comprehension skills.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 101 and RUSS 103.

RUSS 201 - Intermediate Russian I (4)

Development of communicative ability in contemporary written and spoken Russian. Review of basic Russian grammar and development of reading skills through expanded study of the verbal system. Use of authentic materials and cultural supplements as well as Web-based materials. Open to students who have completed one year of college Russian or have been assigned to the course after placement examination.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 102 and RUSS 104.

Chosen from at least two departments.

HIST 246 - History of Imperial Russia (4)

The Russian Empire from the reign of Peter the Great (1689-1725) through the fall of the Romanov dynasty in the February Revolution. Recurring themes include the strengths and weaknesses of autocracy as a political system; the role of serfdom in Russia's development and underdevelopment; the polarization of Russian elite society into revolutionaries and conservatives; the role of the cities and urban populations in Russian culture, politics, and the economy; Russia's complex relationship with the West; and the formation of Russia as a multinational empire.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

HIST 247 - History of the USSR (4)

The course begins with the developments leading to the 1917 Russian Revolution-which has been called the greatest event of the twentieth century. It then traces the tumultuous development of Soviet and Russian history up to the present. Emphases include: the social origins of the Russian Revolution; how a great revolution made in the name of social democracy gave rise to one-party rule; and how this set in motion a chain of events which placed the Soviet Union on a new path of historical development leading eventually to its own demise in 1991 and the ensuing recasting of politics and society.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

PSCI 226 - Russian Politics (4)

A survey of the democratization of Russia by examining the Soviet legacy and recent developments in the political, social, and economic order in Russia since the collapse of communism.

REL 245 - Eastern Christianity II (4)

The Orthodox Church from the 11th century to the present; later history of the separated churches: the Uniates, Eastern dissenters, and Protestant Oriental communities.

Same as: CHIST+228.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

RUSS 251 - Love and Death in Russian Literature (4)

Russian literature is renowned for its probing explorations of human relationships and the "eternal questions" of human existence. This course surveys Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries with an emphasis on the recurring pattern of strong heroines and superfluous heroes found in the works of such writers as Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Bulgakov, as well as in selections from more recent Soviet and post-Soviet Russian writers.

Offered: fall semester in odd-numbered years.

RUSS 255 - Introduction to Russian and Soviet Cinema (4)

A chronological survey of developments in Russian film history from the pre-revolutionary era to the present. Students will be exposed to a wide range of movies, including early silent films (pre- and post-revolutionary), experimental films of the 1920s and early 1930s, socialist realist films, films on World War II and Soviet life, and films from the glasnost' era and contemporary Russia. Readings will include theoretical articles and selections from Russian film history and criticism. All readings are in English and all films shown with English subtitles.

Offered: alternate spring semesters.

RUSS 350 - Banned Books: Russian Literature and Censorship (4)

A history of the development of Russian literature from the 18th century to the present focusing on the relationship between individual writers and state control of the arts in the Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet periods. The course will examine publishing and censorship practices and trace the various ways in which Russian writers managed to communicate with their readers despite state controls. Readings include works by Radishchev, Pushkin, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky,  and Soviet dissident writers. All readings in English translation.

Offered: Fall semester in even-number years.

RUSS 351 - Selected Topics in Russian Literature & Culture (2)

An in-depth study of a topic in Russian cultural studies or of a particular theme, genre or major work of Russian literature read in English translation (students with advanced language skills may opt to do readings in the original). Offerings may include such topics as the Russian short story, post-Soviet Literature, Russian plays, Slavic Folk Culture or Russian Art and Architecture.

Course may be repeated.

Offered: spring semester.

RUSS 101 - Fundamentals of Oral and Written Russian (4)

An intensive study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar with an emphasis on speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension skills. Students will learn to read and write the Cyrillic alphabet, and begin the study of the Russian case system. Supplementary readings in Russian culture. Extensive use of Web based materials. Open to students with no prior knowledge of Russian or who have been assigned to the course after a placement examination.

Offered: fall semester.

RUSS 103 - Basic Russian Conversation I (2)

This two-credit course allows students enrolled in Russian 1 to work on Russian phonetics, pronunciation and intonation. Emphasis on development of conversational skills and listening comprehension.

Offered: fall semester.

RUSS 102 - Fundamentals of Oral and Written Russian II (4)

An intensive study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar with an emphasis on speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension. Students will complete the study of the Russian case system and learn word processing in Cyrillic. Supplementary materials on Russian culture, including songs and poetry. Extensive use of Web-based materials.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or placement exam RUSS 101 and RUSS 103.

RUSS 104 - Basic Russian Conversation II (2)

This two credit course allows students enrolled in RUSS 102 additional practice in developing conversational and listening comprehension skills.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 101 and RUSS 103.

RUSS 201 - Intermediate Russian I (4)

Development of communicative ability in contemporary written and spoken Russian. Review of basic Russian grammar and development of reading skills through expanded study of the verbal system. Use of authentic materials and cultural supplements as well as Web-based materials. Open to students who have completed one year of college Russian or have been assigned to the course after placement examination.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 102 and RUSS 104.

RUSS 202 - Intermediate Russian II (4)

Completion of study of basic Russian grammar. Further development of communicative ability in contemporary written and spoken Russian. Use of film and video materials, cultural supplements as well as Web-based materials.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 201.

RUSS 301 - Advanced Russian: Listening & Speaking Using Russian Media (4)

An advanced course for students who wish to improve their active command of Russian. Discussion of authentic cultural materials from Russian film, television, and radio, using webcasts, RuTube, podcasts and the Internet. Emphasis on listening comprehension and conversation. Review of selected topics in grammar and stylistics. Short oral reports and written assignments.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 202 or placement exam.

RUSS 302 - Advanced Reading and Writing in Russian: Non-fiction (4)

Reading and analysis of authentic texts in Russian. Material will consist of non-fictional texts focusing on political, historical, business or scientific topics, depending on student interest.  Students will write, discuss and revise short essays in Russian, with attention to stylistics, word usage and idiomatic expressions in Russian.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: RUSS 202 or permission of the program coordinator.

RUSS 303 - Advanced Reading and Writing in Russian: Fiction and Poetry (4)

Reading and analysis of works of short fiction and poetry in Russian. Students will write, discuss and revise short essays in Russian, with attention to stylistics, word usage and idiomatic expressions.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: Prerequisite RUSS 202 or permission of the program coordinator.