Russian Courses
Please note: The course descriptions displayed here are current as of Thursday, February 9th 2012, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.
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. Units: 6.
RUSS 102
Beginning Russian II
Continued practice in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension. Cultural information is incorporated throughout the course. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or consent of instructor
RUSS 150
Popular Culture in Contemporary Russia (in English)
This course, which deals with contemporary popular culture in Russia since 1991, will use the prism of television, film, popular literature, rock music, graphic novels, rave culture, tatoos and spectator sports to focus on such issues as ethnic conflict, sexual identity, gender, nationalism, anti-Semitism, racism, religious diversity and intolerance, Russia’s relationship with the West, and the burden of/nostalgia for the Soviet past. The purpose of the course is two-fold: to familiarize students with contemporary Russia through its popular culture and to encourage cross-cultural comparisons on the ways in which American popular culture represents contemporary social issues. Taught in English. Units: 6.
RUSS 191
Directed Study in Russian
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 195
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. Units: 3.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
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. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RUSS 212
RUSS 270
Post-Soviet Film (in English)
This course will focus on the works of seminal filmakers in the post-Soviet period. Through the prism of post-Soviet films students will be introduced to contemporary Russian culture and to the issues explored within these cinematic narratives: national identity, gender relations, role of the arts in a post-Soviet society, and the re-examination of Russia's historical and cultural past. Taught in English. Units: 6.
Also listed as Film Studies 270
RUSS 285
Russian Conversation & Composition
This course focuses on developing fluency in written and spoken Russian, and improving reading and listening comprehension. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RUSS 250 or permission of instructor.
RUSS 286
Russian Comversation and Composition II
This course allows students to develop fluency in written and spoken Russian, improve reading and listening comprehension, and deepen their understanding of Russian culture. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: RUSS 285 or consent of instructor
RUSS 287
Russian Through Film
This course will examine topics in Russian film. Topics may include specific generes (e.g. the sad comedy), the work of a director or tradition, films important for a specific historical moment (e.g. the Thaw or World War Two), or films devoted to a specific theme. Students will expand their Russian vocabulary, improve fluency, increase speaking confidence and gain cultural knowledge by viewing Russian films and analyzing the psychology of the characters. Throughout this course, students will be introduced to the practice of reading the filmic text using three structuring lenses: 1) history, 2) formal and generic elements, and 3) film criticism. Units: 6.
Also listed as Film Studies 287
Prerequisite: RUSS 250 or consent of instructor
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. Offered every other year. Units: 6.
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. Offered every other year. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
RUSS 308
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Their World (in English)
This course explores the works, thought, and impact of two of the most profoundly important writers of the nineteenth century, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Lev Tolstoy. Possible topics include “ Crimes and Punishments, ” “History and Narrative, ” and “In the Writer’s Laboratory. ” Taught in English. Russian majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in Russian. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
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. Units: 6.
RUSS 314
Chekhov (in English)
The course focusses on the work, world, and influence of Anton Chekhov. Topics may include “Chekhov adn the Russian Short Story,” “Chekhov and Modern Russian Drama,” “Chekhov on the Silver Screen,” and “Chekhov and the West.” Taught in English. Russian majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in Russian. Units: 6.
RUSS 320
Topics in Russian Film (in English)
This course explores facets of the development of Russian film in its historical and cultural context. Topics may include: “The Golden Age of Soviet Film,” “The Cinema of Tarkovsky,” and “Film as Propaganda.” Taught in English. Russian majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in Russian. Units: 6.
RUSS 321
Animal, Human, Machine: Explorations of Humanity in Russian Culture
This course will focus on explorations of human nature and utopian visions of an ideal humanity within the context of Russian culture and literature. Texts will include literary works from both nineteenth and twentieth centuries by such authors as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Platonov and Zoshchenko. In addition, students will read articles and essays in the fields of Russian psychology and philosophy. Readings and discussion will be in English. Units: 6.
RUSS 323 Topic for Spring 2012: Power and Culture in the Russian Revolution, 1900-1934
This course is a study of the relationship between politics, art, and everyday life in Russia’s revolutionary era. Among the topics studied are: prominent artistic movements such as symbolism, futurism, and constructivism; ideological debates about the role of culture in revolutionary times; efforts to transform the everyday lives of ordinary people by means of propaganda, popular entertainment, and design; and the development of socialist realism. Emphasis is placed on analyzing and discussing historical primary sources and literary texts, works of fine and applied art, and films in a seminar-style format.
Topics in Russian History and Culture (in English)
An interdisciplinary course examining the relationship between politics and culture in Russia since the 18th century through the close analysis of a specific historical theme. Emphasis is placed on reading and discussing literary texts, historical primary sources, and, where applicable, watching films. Possible themes include: Power and Culture in the Russian Revolution, 1900-1936; The Soviet 1960s; and The Agony of Populism: Terrorism and Literature in Russia's Nineteenth Century. Not open to students who have previously received, or need to receive credit for HIST 423. (G&C)
Also listed as History 323
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing and one course in Russian language, literature, or history
RUSS 350
Kurgan Exchange Term
Courses in Russian phonetics, grammar, conversation, translation, literature, and folklore taken at Kurgan State University in Russia. Offered every year. Units: 21.
Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian or permission of department faculty
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. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian
RUSS 362
Survey of 19th- and 20th-Century Russian Poetry
Primary goals are to read, analyze, and discuss lyric poems by some of Russia’s major poets. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian
RUSS 363
Survey of 19th- and 20th-Century Russian Drama
Primary goals are to read, discuss, and analyze several plays. Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Two years of college Russian
RUSS 390
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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 391
Directed Study in Russian
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 395
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. Units: 3.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 399
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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 590
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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 591
Directed Study in Russian
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 595
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. Units: 3.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 599
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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 691
Directed Study in Russian
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
RUSS 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. Units: 3.
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. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
