RUSS 101
Beginning Russian I
The first course of a three-term sequence. Once students learn the alphabet and pronunciation, they acquire a basis for speaking, understanding, reading, and writing spoken Russian. Cultural information is incorporated throughout the course. 6 units.
RUSS 102
Beginning Russian II
Continued practice in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension. Cultural information is incorporated throughout the course. 6 units. Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or consent of instructor
RUSS 201
Intermediate Beginning Russian
Students acquire a wider range of linguistic structures, which enables them to start speaking, reading, and writing on a higher level. 6 units. Prerequisite: RUSS 102 or consent of instructor
RUSS 211
Intermediate Russian I
Grammar review and introduction of more complex grammatical concepts. Students read some authentic literary texts. Cultural information is presented through texts and audio-visual/computer materials. 6 units. Prerequisite: RUSS 201 or consent of instructor
RUSS 212
Intermediate Russian II
A continuation of Russian 211. More exposure to literary texts, along with newspaper articles. Video clips continue to improve students’ listening comprehension skills and cultural knowledge. 6 units. Prerequisite: RUSS 211 or consent of instructor
RUSS 250
Advanced Intermediate Russian
A continuation of Russian 212. More intensive reading, writing, and conversational practice to provide a transition to study abroad. 6 units. Prerequisite: RUSS 212
RUSS 300
Russia’s Golden Age: 19th-Century Literature in Translation
The texts studied in this course are thematically unified by their examination of romantic and sexual relationships, many of which are limited by social restrictions. Some works will be studied in conjunction with film versions. No knowledge of Russian required. 6 units. Offered every other year
RUSS 305
Repression and Resistance in Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature in Translation
Survey of Soviet and post-Soviet literature from 1920 to the present. Course will explore ways in which writers responded to, helped shape, and reacted against the Soviet system. Works will be set in historical and cultural context. No knowledge of Russian required. 6 units. Offered every other year
RUSS 307
Men in the Storm of History
Narratives of WW I and the Russian Revolution. Comparisons, where applicable, with American writers influential in Russian letters. Works of Blok, Babel, Sholoxov, Pasternak, Hemingway, and Faulkner. 6 units.
RUSS 309
Brothers Karamozov and War and Peace in Translation
Two novels that lie at the heart of Russian literature, Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov, will be read in translation. No knowledge of Russian required. 6 units. Offered every other year
RUSS 310
Russia’s Erotic Utopia
This course examines Russia’s complex debate over the nature of sexuality, decadence, morality, and mortality. Themes include the moral nature of procreation, lust, murder, and resurrection. Readings include Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Platonov, and Nabokov, as well as film, opera, paintings, and a television mini- series. In English. 6 units.
RUSS 312
The Russian Nabokov
This course examines Nabokov’s Russian works in the context of the Russian literary tradition. We will read poems, stories, a play, and three novels by Nabokov, as well as a sampling of the pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and émigré works upon which he drew. In English. 6 units.
RUSS 350
Kurgan Exchange Term
Courses in Russian phonetics, grammar, conversation, translation, literature, and folklore taken at Kurgan State University in Russia. 21 units. Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian or permission of department faculty. Offered every year
RUSS 361
Survey of 19th- and 20th-Century Russian Prose
Primary goals are to read, discuss, and analyze selected short stories and novel excerpts by some of Russia’s major writers. 6 units. Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian
RUSS 190, 390, 590, 690
Tutorial Studies in Russian
Advanced work, in Russian, arranged and carried out in consultation with the faculty. Topics depend on the student’s interest, the instructor, and the subject. Tutorials are not substitutes for courses offered elsewhere in the curriculum. Variable units. Prerequisite: Counter registration required
RUSS 195, 395, 595, 695
Internship in Russian
An opportunity for students to apply their Russian language skills in business, government, and the non-profit sector on the regional, national, and international levels. Arranged in collaboration with and supervised by a member of the department. Includes discussion, report, and/or portfolio. Advance consultation and application required. Credit may be given for internships completed during a period of study abroad. 3 units, repeatable for up to 6 units. Prerequisite: Counter registration required
RUSS 699
Independent Study in Russian
Individualized advanced research carried out in consultation with a faculty member. Students considering an honors project in their senior year should register for an upper-level independent study for one or more terms. Variable units. Prerequisite: Counter registration required
Recent tutorial topics in Russian
Reading the Russian Press
Current Events in Russia
Conversational Practice