Russian Courses

Russian Studies Courses

From first-semester Russian to advanced courses on literature, culture, and society, the Russian Studies program at Binghamton University offers courses across a wide variety of topics and levels. Cultural offerings in English have included Russian Popular Culture; Russians in Soviet Film; Activism in Russia; Slavic Folklore; Demons, Fools and Madmen and others.

• Fall 2024

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Nancy Tittler

       Russian is a living language! One of the East Slavic languages (including Ukrainian and Belorussian), it is used in many of the former Soviet republics, Central Asia, the Baltic states and throughout the world by a large Russian-speaking diaspora. In this class, we will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester's end, you should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about your own life, you will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun+adjective cases, past- and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading.
  WL1

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading.  Course restrictions:  This Class is NOT for heritage speakers of Russian.  Contact an instructor to be placed into the right class. 
  WL1

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture and Civilization
  Marina Zalesski

  The course provides a chronological overview of Russian civilization from pre-Christian times to the 20th century, paying particular attention to the geographic, social, artistic, economic, and political forces that have combined to give the Russian people and their culture their unique characteristics.
  It will examine Russia as a cultural, national, and historical entity part of and yet apart from both Europe and Asia through a variety of sources such as literature, music, film, visual arts, and historical documents. The course will examine certain determinants of Russian culture, including Christianity, multi-nationalism, and the status of Russian civilization on the periphery of Europe. Course will examine myths, traditions and events that have shaped Russians' view of themselves as a people as well as the image of Russia on the world stage.   
  H

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Sidney Dement

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition,
  improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film,
  stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian.
  Native or heritage speakers of Russian should contact the professor.  Course restrictions: RUSS 101 and 102 or by permission of instructor.
  WL3

  RUSS 280E: Anton Chehov: The Doctor's Notes
  Nancy Tittler

  Chekhov’s gun? “No small actors, only small roles”? Why is it that the prose and plays of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov continue to resonate well into the 21st century, in cultures throughout the world? This course will trace Chekhov’s gaze, from his earliest comic sketches to his poignant dramas, as he probed every corner of his society, every age and nuance of human behavior. Through close reading and viewing, we will discover his signature economy of means and depth of observation, and his enduring impact on the theater and short-form prose.
  H

  RUSS 321: 19th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Through close reading and detailed textual analysis, students will become familiar with the development of Russian narrative prose in the nineteenth century, beginning with the question, “Why the nineteenth century?” and its reflection of universal as well as particularly Russian themes. Special emphasis will be placed on close reading and structural analysis of the literary work, as students come to recognize each author’s deployment of literary devices to convey universal themes. In this way, our journey will address the gen. ed. Humanities requirement, to “demonstrate an understanding of human experience through the study of literature or philosophy.” This is why we read!
  H, C

  RUSS 380D: Readings in Russian Literature 
  Marina Zalesski

  This advanced language course is for students with at least two years of language training, including heritage speakers who completed RUSS 111-212 course sequence or placed into an advanced class through an examination. The course explores previously untranslated works by prominent Russian writers, covering diverse themes and writing styles for class discussions. Objectives include expanding vocabulary, enhancing comprehension, and fostering lively conversations. The grammar review includes the case system, verbal aspect, prefixed motion verbs, verbal adverbs, adjectives, and complex sentence construction. Assignments consist of oral presentations, discussion participation, and homework with grammar exercises and creative writing.

  COURSES CROSSLISTED WITH RUSSIAN

  
  RUSS 180A: Yiddish I
  Gina Glasman

   Yiddish I is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills.

  RUSS 180C: World Dance: Contexts & Cultures
  Ania Nikulina

  This 100-level class will offer an introduction to dance as a subject of academic study and dance history as a key discipline of performance studies. Students will have a chance to perform historical and cultural analysis of various dance genres, practiced in different geographical and cultural contexts, including, but not limited to dance forms of Central and Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, Pre- and Post-Colonial Americas, and the Middle East. Each module will cover a certain region’s distinctive dance practices, pinpoint key aesthetic elements and trends from the form’s initial development to its modern iteration with a focus on the dance form’s cultural, social, and political significance.

  RUSS 280X: The Fairy Tale
  Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

  Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers

  RUSS 381A: Eastern European Short Fiction
  Kaitlyn Sorenson

  In this course, we will read short fiction from a variety of Eastern European authors and examine the texts that establish the tradition of Eastern European short fiction as well as those that push its boundaries. We will attend to the formal characteristics of these texts, analyze their approach to storytelling, and ultimately question what these texts reveal about our appetite for narrative. This course will serve as a general survey of Eastern European Literature (with authors featured including Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Bunin, Teffi, Nabokov, Kiš, Schultz, Tolstaya, etc.), as well as a focused introduction to a particular medium in that tradition.
  O, C, N

• Summer 2024

  RUSS 380J: Soviet Union During WW II
  Amanda Ward

  The purpose of this course is to explore in depth what was arguably the most important decade of the Soviet era: the years between 1938 and 1948. During this time, the Soviet Union was transformed from being a power of only regional significance into one of the two postwar “superpowers.” The USSR underwent Stalin’s purges, the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and the crises leading up to the Nazi invasion of June 22, 1941. In the war itself, the Soviets suffered some 27 million dead, and their economy was laid waste. Yet from that war the USSR emerged with enhanced power, gaining great swathes of territory and a belt of subject Communist satellite states in Eastern Europe. It also became a nuclear power. The events of this crucial decade, in short, forged the shape of the postwar world, a shape that would last until 1989.
  C, N, I, T

  RUSS 380L: Red Westerns in Soviet Films
  Samantha Sharp

  This course examines the genre of the Western as it manifests in films from the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The title of the course invokes the concept of the “Red Western,” a mode of Soviet cinema which appropriates, parodies, and subverts the tropes of Hollywood Westerns, including the gunslinging cowboy, the indigenous Other, and the coarse landscapes of the supposedly untamed frontier. The professed goal of the Red Western, produced in countries across Eastern Europe during the Cold War era, is usually a biting critique of American capitalism and imperialism, enacted weekly through the formal devices of the Western itself. Red Westerns make rich objects of analysis, posing questions about the possibilities and limits of particular forms and genres, while also illuminating social, political, economic tensions between the Soviet “East” and the American “West.”
  J, H, G

• Spring 2024

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler

  We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, you should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including housing and furniture, family, shopping, food and celebrations. In addition to learning to speak about your own life in Russian, you will gain an understanding of these aspects of contemporary Russian culture as Russians talk about them. As for grammar, by May, you should be able to use basic verbs of motion, employ appropriate noun/adjective cases (all six!) in singular and plural and demonstrate a basic understanding of verbal aspect. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice, involving individual and group work. Background grammar and vocabulary material will be prepared at home, so that questions may be raised in class. Come each day ready to speak!
  WL2

  RUSS 204: Intermediate Russian II
  Marina Zalesski

  Intermediate Russian II is a course designed for students who have completed Russian 203 or placed into the course by exam. All students who grew up speaking Russian are suggested to contact the instructor to determine which class will better address their proficiency level. RUSS 204 continues to develop proficiency in all four skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing through careful review of grammar and gradual introduction of more sophisticated vocabulary and complex grammar concepts.  This course deepens students’ understanding of the history, culture, geography, traditions and everyday life of the Russian-speaking world through authentic target-language texts, film, music and other supplementary materials. THIS CLASS IS NOT FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS OF RUSSIAN.  CONTACT AN INTRUCTOR TO BE PLACED IN THE RIGHT CLASS .
  WL2

  RUSS 212: Russian for Russian Speakers
  Marina Zalesski

  This is an intermediate Russian language course, designed for heritage students who have successfully completed the beginning course “Russian for Russian Speakers” (RUSS 111) or for English-speaking students who have completed at least four semesters of Russian. The course concentrates on the reinforcement of skills obtained at the beginning level.  Students will be challenged to read, write and speak on a variety of cultural topics introduced through an array of Russian materials: films, TV programs, podcasts, articles, news and blogs. This course aims to expand students’ understanding of current events, to broaden their cultural knowledge, and develop a sense of pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage.  High emphasis on grammatical accuracy and culture of speech will help students to gain confidence in using Russian at a more sophisticated level, and, perhaps, in some professional settings. THIS CLASS IS DESIGNED FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS OF RUSSIAN AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS OF RUSSIAN.
  WL2

  RUSS 215: Slavic Folklore
  Sidney Dement

  This is an intermediate Russian language course, designed for heritage students who have successfully completed the beginning course “Russian for Russian Speakers” (RUSS 111) or for English-speaking students who have completed at least four semesters of Russian. The course concentrates on the reinforcement of skills obtained at the beginning level.  Students will be challenged to read, write and speak on a variety of cultural topics introduced through an array of Russian materials: films, TV programs, podcasts, articles, news and blogs. This course aims to expand students’ understanding of current events, to broaden their cultural knowledge, and develop a sense of pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage.  High emphasis on grammatical accuracy and culture of speech will help students to gain confidence in using Russian at a more sophisticated level, and, perhaps, in some professional settings. 
  H,C

  RUSS 280B: People and State in Soviet Cinema
  Marina Zalesski

  This course introduces students to Soviet cinema from its beginnings through the time of Perestroika. The course focuses on the issue of Russian cultural identity and cultural legacy under the pressures of Soviet ideology. It will examine cinema's role as the “most important media for educating the masses”, which established new artistic criteria, spread new Soviet values, and, paradoxically, helped to preserve Russian classical artistic traditions. The course will introduce most prominent examples of Soviet cinematography (Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera; Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin; Gaidai’s comedies; Tarkovsky’s Stalker and other films), which will be analyzed as texts within aesthetic, socio-political, historical and theoretical backgrounds. Students will learn about prominent Soviet writers, film directors and actors and analyze ways in which they were able to navigate between their conscience and political compliance, their artistic mission and ideological mediocrity to produce universally acknowledged masterpieces of world cinematography.
  H,W 

  RUSS 280C: Russian-Ukraine Cultural Conversations
  Nancy Tittler

   Kyivan Rus’? Ukraine? The Ukraine? Little Russia? Russia? Whom are we reading about, and where do they live? What constitutes a national literature, and what language/s should it embrace? This course will probe the literary interactions between two great East Slavic cultures, from their common roots in medieval Kyiv to the fraught present. Close readings of literary texts in English translation, including medieval chronicles, folktales, Gogol, Shevchenko, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Vovchok, Ukrainka, Babel, Kurkov and his contemporaries will explore myths, attitudes, stereotypes and universal themes that have shaped centuries of cultural relations between these two nations. An underlying goal of the course is to better understand, via cultural expression, the struggle for integrity of the Ukrainian nation. 
  W, H

  RUSS 341: Modern Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  What was read by – or fed to – “the most reading people in the world?” What do Russians read today? In this course we will read representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Zamyatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and Pelevin. We will consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Through detailed textual analysis, students will become sensitive to the unique experience of 20th and 21st-century Russian writers as they assumed the mantle of moral authority from their predecessors, enjoyed a decade of relative creative freedom, entered the straits of Socialist Realism and began to shape a post-Soviet culture.  Special emphasis will be placed on close reading and structural analysis of the literary work, as students come to recognize each author’s deployment of literary devices to convey universal themes. In this way, our journey will address the gen. ed. Humanities requirement, to “demonstrate an understanding of human experience through the study of literature or philosophy.” This is why we read! 
  H,C                                                                                                                  

  Courses crosslisted with Russian

  
  RUSS 280A Yiddish II
  Gina Glasman

   Follows on from Yiddish I as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always, lyrics from Yiddish popular songs provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join Yiddish II directly without having taken Yiddish I (Instructor permission needed).. (Instructor permission needed.)
  WL1

  RUSS 380L: Red Phoenix
  Heather DeHaan

  This course unpacks the history of the Russian Revolution—its origins, unfolding, “maturation,” and aftermath. We will discuss the utopian ideas that shaped the early Soviet Union, the political, social and economic challenges that shaped the Soviet experiment, the origins, nature and impact of the Stalin era, as well as the long legacy of Stalinism, which endured to the era of Gorbachev’s reforms. Throughout, we will ask ourselves about the mythologies that drove not only the Revolution, but also its interpretation and re-interpretation by western observers and by Soviet citizens themselves. 

  RUSS 381D: Photgraphic Fictions of Central Europe
  Kaitlyn Sorenson

  Literature from Central Europe in past years has been overwhelmingly populated by the genre of “witness literature,” or fictional narratives about factual historical traumas. These works often embed photographs—pictures of real people and places—within their fictional narratives. The course is guided by the core question of how this mixing of media—and of reality and fiction— affects the various ways in which these novels “bear witness.” This course will provide students with an introduction to critical theories of photography as well as an introduction to the contemporary literature of Central Europe.Theory: Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag, Aleš Erjavec, Susie Linfield, Dominic LaCapra, Marianne Hirsch, Slavoj Žižek, Andreas Huyssen.Literature: W.G. Sebald, Aleksandar Hemon, Dubravka Ugrešić, Dušan Šarotar, Paveł Huelle, László Krasznahorkai, Menyhért Lakatos, Evgeniya Belorusets

• Fall 2023

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. Students with prior knowledge of Russian should email the instructor as soon as possible.
  WL1

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture & Civilization
  Sidney Dement

  This course examines the political, historical, and cultural developments that have together shaped Russian civilization and national identity, including Russia's interactions with other cultures from early, pre-tsarist times to the 21st century. We will consider folklore, literary and philosophical texts, art, architecture, music, dance, film, rituals, and social conventions as artifacts of Russian culture. Students develop the basic skills of cultural history as they learn to identify themes, metaphors, plots, and other devices within a national tradition.
  H

  RUSS 111: Russian for Russian Speakers
  Marina Zalesski

  This course is designed for students, who use conversational Russian at home but lack basic literacy, writing and reading skills.  Students will learn the basics of Russian phonetics, morphology and grammar and practice the skills in creating monologues, conducting interviews, writing stories and participating in discussions.  Reading component of the course is designed to accompany theme-based chapters and to help students to expand their vocabulary beyond the home use.  This class is designed for heritage speakers of Russian and is not suitable for native speakers of Russian.  Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with all questions regarding their proficiency level.                                                                                                                                           WL1                                                                                                                                          

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisite: RUSS 102 or placement exam. Students with prior knowledge of Russian should email the instructor as soon as possible. 
  WL3

  RUSS 280S: Russian Short Stories in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Why the short story?  Storytelling is a powerful tool!  Through detailed textual analysis, this course will explore the ways Russians, from medieval to post-Soviet times, have shaped their stories to reflect their view of themselves, their society and their place in the wider world.  From Gothic gloom to slapstick satire, whether evading censorship or probing the questions of the day, Russian stories offer astute observation of human nature. Thus, this course fulfills the gen. ed. Humanities goal of “understanding human experience through the study of literature or philosophy.”  

  By semester’s end, students will become sensitive readers of this intentionally-shaped short form and its power to evoke the human experience. Special emphasis will be placed on narrative structure and voice, psychological portraiture and the deployment of literary devices to express universal themes. In addition, you will gain: • a vocabulary of literary terms with which to articulate your discovery of central themes and authors’ devices; • an understanding of the historical and cultural context that surrounds our primary texts; • the ability to read critically and analyze a particular author’s discourse; • the ability to make a clear and concise argument in class discussion Class will be conducted in English, with no knowledge of Russian required; however, students who read Russian are encouraged to read in the original.                                                                                   H                                                                                  

  RUSS 325: Demons, Fools and Madmen in Russian Literature
  Nancy Tittler

  Demons, fools and madmen course throughout Russian culture, from folklore to film. Surely their persistence contributes to the long-held notion that, in Virginia Woolf’s words, “it is the soul that is the chief character in Russian fiction,” and a tormented soul, at that. This course will trace such particularly Russian manifestations as the “holy fool” and “petty demon,” the “little man” and “madmen’s memoirs,” against a background of folkloric, theological, existential and political considerations. Although not a medical course – we will not learn how to diagnose and treat mental illness – our journey will investigate some fundamental questions concerning madness and culture. For instance, is there a discernible boundary between insanity and imagination? Do criteria for madness change as a culture evolves? Is madness a destructive delusion or a frightening reflection of the passions, ambitions and malaise of “normal” society? Finally, who is insane: the incarcerated or those who would lock them up? Our close readings of folklore and classic Russian literature, enhanced by art and film viewing and critical commentary, will inevitably prompt students to probe the theme of madness and culture in the present day and beyond the boundaries of Russia, thus enhancing our “understanding of human experience through the study of literature,” as prescribed by the Gen. Ed. Humanities requirement. In addition to participation in our lecture-discussion format, students will be evaluated on the basis of brief response assignments, two 5-pp. essays, in-class quizzes and a 10-pp. (minimum) final paper, thus satisfying the Gen. Ed. Composition requirement. There will be no final exam.                                                                                                     H, C                                             

  RUSS 380A: Russia and Ukraine in Crisis
  Ania Nikulina

  This course will engage students into the studies of unique cultures of Russia and Ukraine and their dramatic regional and global impact. Historically tied, yet independent from one another, these two countries have influenced local and global politics in the past and continue to shape global diplomatic dialogues and shift the flows of people within and outside of these regions. By focusing on the topic of crisis, this class will examine the tensions that come up across cultural, economic, and political spheres, including “hybrid warfare,” forced internal migration, neo-racism, and citizenship. The course will respond to the current political events and relate to the historic Russian imperialism and, in that, provide students with context on the current major political happenings and hotly discussed topics. This class is open to all majors.                                                                        J, N
  
  

  COURSES CROSSLISTED WITH RUSSIAN:

  RUSS 180A: Yiddish I
  Gina Glasman

  Yiddish 101 is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills. 
  G, O, WL1

  RUSS 180R: Yiddish II
  Gina Glasman

  Follows on from Yiddish I as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always, lyrics from Yiddish popular songs provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join Yiddish II directly without having taken Yiddish I (Instructor permission needed).
  WL2

  RUSS 280X: The Fairy Tale
  Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

  Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers. 
  H, W

  RUSS 480A: Russian Empire and It's Others

  Studies of particular authors, periods, genres and aspects of Russian culture. May be repeated for credit if topic varies. Prerequisites vary according to topic. Recent topics include Great Russian novels.

• Spring 2023

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler

  We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, you should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including housing and furniture, family, shopping, food and celebrations. In addition to learning to speak about your own life in Russian, you will gain an understanding of these aspects of contemporary Russian culture as Russians talk about them. As for grammar, by May, you should be able to use basic verbs of motion, employ appropriate noun/adjective cases (all six!) in singular and plural and demonstrate a basic understanding of verbal aspect. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice, involving individual and group work. Background grammar and vocabulary material will be prepared at home, so that questions may be raised in class. Come each day ready to speak!
  FL2

  RUSS 261: Russian Popular Culture
  Marina Zalesski

  This course examines Russian popular culture as a compilation of historical "documents", which preserve national memory, values and beliefs and reflect people’s perception of themselves and the world around them at various points in their country’s history. The course offers a chronological analysis of pre-Soviet, Soviet and post-Soviet development of popular entertainment, film, literary works and visual arts while raising questions about political manipulation of culture; the relationship between mass, “highbrow” and “lowbrow” cultures under totalitarian regime; people’s role as producers and consumers of popular culture; role of “national” culture in the formation of ideologies; the impact of American popular culture on modern-day Russia and its response. All course materials are read in English.
  H, W

  RUSS 280B: Disinformation and Naivete II
  Sidney Dement

  A significant lack of knowledge about Russian culture and history plays a pivotal role in many different areas of interest: the news, film, literature, tourism, pedagogy, international relations, arms proliferation, NATO expansion, internet policy, approaches to medical practice, and especially disinformation. In this course, students develop and practice research skills to conceptualize how gaps in knowledge shape discourses in and about Russia while also searching for ways to identify and address those gaps. Disinformation plays a particularly significant role in naiveté about Russia since the idea of disinformation belongs to Cold War discourse and, arguably, entered the English language through the Russian “dezinformatsiia.” As the second part of a two-course sequence sponsored by the “Source Project” (Binghamton University’s undergraduate research stream for first-year students), this course provides collaborative and mentoring structure for students as they conduct a research project designed to implement the knowledge and skills they acquired in RUSS 180, "Disinformation and Naivete."

  RUSS 280C: Russian-Ukrainian Cultural Conversion
  Nancy Tittler

  Kievan Rus’? Ukraine? “Little Russia”? Russia? Whom are we reading about, and where do they live? This course will probe the literary interactions between two great East Slavic cultures, from their common roots in medieval Kyiv to the fraught present. Close readings of literary texts, including medieval chronicles, Pushkin, Gogol, Shevchenko, Soviet and contemporary writers will elucidate myths, attitudes, stereotypes and universal themes that have shaped centuries of cultural relations between these two entities.

  RUSS 341: Modern Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  What was read by – or fed to – “the most reading people in the world?” What do Russians read today? In this course we will read representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Zamyatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and Pelevin. We will consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Through detailed textual analysis, students will become sensitive to the unique experience of 20th and 21st-century Russian writers as they assumed the mantle of moral authority from their predecessors, enjoyed a decade of relative creative freedom, entered the straits of Socialist Realism and began to shape a post-Soviet culture.
  C,H

  RUSS 380 L: Theater as Language
  Marina Zalesski

  This is a Russian language course for students of mixed proficiency levels (elementary Russian students are encouraged to participate), in which students will be able to expand their vocabulary and perfect grammar while being completely immersed in an atmosphere of Russian language used in the real work setting. During this course students will develop, rehearse and, eventually, perform a play in Russian. The course will offer reading and translating practice, discussions on topics in Russian culture and history, cultivate skills of close reading and text analysis and teach basics of acting and expressive reading.

  Courses crosslisted with Russian

  RUSS 181D Yiddish I
  Gina Glasman

  Yiddish 101 is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills.
  RUSS 204 (21739) Intermediate Russian II: Intermediate Russian II is a course designed for students who have completed Russian 203 or placed into the course by exam. All students who grew up speaking Russian are suggested to contact the instructor to determine which class will better address their proficiency level. RUSS 204 continues to develop proficiency in all four skills: speaking, reading, listening, and writing through careful review of grammar and gradual introduction of more sophisticated vocabulary and complex grammar concepts. This course deepens students’ understanding of the history, culture, geography, traditions and everyday life of the Russian-speaking world through authentic target-language texts, film, music and other supplementary materials.
  FL1, G, O

  RUSS 280A: Yiddish II
  Gina Glasman

  Follows on from Yiddish 101 as students sharpen their linguistic skills with more complex sentence structure, a deeper knowledge of tenses and cases, and a broader vocabulary. In addition, we explore Yiddish culture through film, stories, folk sayings and the occasional joke! As always lyrics from Yiddish popular song provide the backbone of the class, and individual attention is a feature of the instruction. Note: interested students can join 102 directly without having taken 101. (Instructor permission needed.)

  RUSS 281D: Borderlands of Eastern Europe
  Heather Dehaan

  In taking this class, you will learn about the history of the peoples and places of Eastern Europe, places that were once Europe’s borderlands. Traveling from Central Asia to the Caucasus and central Europe, we will discuss the conflict and co-existence of diverse cultural, religious, regional, class, and state entities in those places where empires meet, conflict, and sometimes shatter. Our conversations will explore the flow of people across imperial and state boundaries, the origins and nature of ethno-religious violence, the problem of the nation-state, and the complex domestic and geopolitics of post-imperial countries.

  RUSS 381B: Hoarding and the Human Condition
  Kaitlyn Sorenson

  Why do humans hoard? What drives the impulse to accumulate objects and capital? This course examines literary and philosophical representations of money, misers, greed, and hoarding. It begins by introducing students to key theoretical approaches to the social lives of currency, such as Aristotle’s objection to moneylending, Marx’s notion of commodity fetishism, and Freud’s diagnosis of hoarding. Using these theoretical texts as a framework, we will then survey the classical literature of avarice, including Plautus’s The Pot of Gold, Dante’s Inferno, Moliere’s The Miser, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades,” and Dickens’s The Christmas Carol. We’ll study how these narratives diagnose (and, occasionally, claim to cure) avarice before turning to more contemporary representations of greed (including the film Wall Street, the television series Hoarders, and fiction by Sylvia Townsend Warner and Imbolo Mbue).

• Fall 2022

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. Students with prior knowledge of Russian should email the instructor as soon as possible.
  FL1

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture & Civilization
  Sidney Dement

  This course examines the political, historical, and cultural developments that have together shaped Russian civilization and national identity, including Russia's interactions with other cultures from early, pre-tsarist times to the 21st century. We will consider folklore, literary and philosophical texts, art, architecture, music, dance, film, rituals, and social conventions as artifacts of Russian culture. Students develop the basic skills of cultural history as they learn to identify themes, metaphors, plots, and other devices within a national tradition.
  H

  RUSS 180D: Disinformation and Naivete
  Sidney Dement

  A significant lack of knowledge about Russian culture and history plays a pivotal role in many different areas of interest: the news, film, literature, tourism, pedagogy, international relations, arms proliferation, NATO expansion, internet policy, approaches to medical practice, and especially disinformation. In this course, students develop and practice research skills to conceptualize how gaps in knowledge shape discourses in and about Russia while also searching for ways to identify and address those gaps. Disinformation plays a particularly significant role in naiveté about Russia since the idea of disinformation belongs to Cold War discourse and, arguably, entered the English language through the Russian “dezinformatsiia.” As the first part of a two-course sequence sponsored by the “Source Project” (Binghamton University’s undergraduate research stream for first-year students), this course introduces students to the historical and literary dimensions of disinformation and naiveté related to Russia in order to prepare them for part II, a subsequent course (spring 2022), in which students conduct a research project designed to implement the knowledge and skills they acquired in this course. 
  

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisite: RUSS 102 or placement exam. Students with prior knowledge of Russian should email the instructor as soon as possible. 
  FL3

  RUSS 321: 19th-Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Through close reading and detailed textual analysis, students will become familiar with the development of Russian narrative prose in the nineteenth century, beginning with the question, “Why the nineteenth century?” and its reflection of universal as well as particularly Russian themes. In discussion and writing, students will display an understanding of basic literary terms, as presented in class and posted on Brightspace. 
  C, H

  RUSS 351: Russia's Defiant Women
  Nancy Tittler

  We will consider the experience of women as characters as well as authors of Russian literature. Patterns of behavior, as manifest in both these roles, will be traced through folklore, fiction and memoir from medieval times to the present. These patterns will be seen to reflect and challenge themes fundamental to Russian culture, including moral strength, family and community, and the traditional role of Russian literature as a socio-political forum. By semester’s end, you will have gained an understanding of the evolving female role in Russian society, as chronicled in literature, as well as in the creation and production of that literature. 
  C, H

  RUSS 380A: Russia and Ukraine in Crisis
  Ania Nikulina

  This course will engage students into the studies of unique cultures of Russia and Ukraine and their dramatic regional and global impact. Historically tied, yet independent from one another, these two countries have influenced local and global politics in the past and continue to shape global diplomatic dialogues and shift the flows of people within and outside of these regions. By focusing on the topic of crisis, this class will examine the tensions that come up across cultural, economic, and political spheres, including “hybrid warfare,” forced internal migration, neo-racism, and citizenship. The course will respond to the current political events and relate to the historic Russian imperialism and, in that, provide students with context on the current major political happenings and hotly discussed topics. This class is open to all majors. 
  J

  RUSS 380D: Readings in Russian Literature
  Marina Zalesski

  An advanced language course for students with at least two years of grammar training, as well as heritage speakers who are interested in reading literature in the original. Course materials will acquaint students with diverse themes and writing styles of the best Russian writers. Course objectives include broadening of vocabulary, improving comprehension and facilitating lively conversation. Grammar topics will be addressed in the relation to texts and particular needs of students.
  FL3

  Courses crosslisted with Russian:

  RUSS 180A: Yiddish I
  Gina Glasman

  Yiddish 101 is the first semester of the Yiddish language course sequence and is intended for beginners. It introduces students to the Yiddish language and its culture. It emphasizes all facets of the language – comprehension, speech, reading, grammar and writing. The focus of instruction is on enabling students to develop basic skills. 
  FL1

  RUSS 280X: The Fairy Tale
  Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

  Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers. 
  H, W

  RUSS 380B: Taming the Russian Empire
  Heather Dehaan

  HIST38X/RUSS 380B - Taming the Russian Empire Professor Heather DeHaan Fall 2022 Course Description: This survey of human-nature interactions retells the story of Russian and Soviet empire through the lens of environmental history. Starting with Kievan Rus', it reframes how we narrate the formation of the empire, the Soviet experiment, the Cold War, and the geopolitics of the present by placing the natural environment in a central role. It not only shows how Russians altered their environment, but how nature itself shaped events. Course topics include the pursuit of furs in Siberia, raw material pursuits and colonial expansion, the conquest and settlement of Crimea and the Pontic Steppe, the rise of scientific management, how Soviet authorities ruled diverse peoples through nature (e.g. through collectivized agriculture and the GULAG economy), the Cold War, Chernobyl, the late Soviet environmental movement, post-Soviet oil and green energy politics, and the environmental consequences of the current war in Ukraine. 
  W

• Spring 2022

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler

  We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening, reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, you should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including housing and furniture, family, shopping, food and celebrations. In addition to learning to speak about your own life in Russian, you will gain an understanding of these aspects of contemporary Russian culture as Russians talk about them. As for grammar, by May, you should be able to use unprefixed verbs of motion, employ appropriate noun/adjective cases (all six!) in singular and plural and demonstrate a basic understanding of verbal aspect. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice, involving individual and group work. Background grammar and vocabulary material will be prepared at home, so that questions may be raised in class. Come each day ready to speak!
  MW 1:10–2:10. TR 1:15–2:40

  RUSS 204: Intermediate Russian II
  Sidney Dement

  Students finish learning the basic elements of Russian grammar, expand their command of vocabulary and begin to read more extensive selections of Russian prose. Emphasizes conversation in practical, everyday situations. Aspects of Russian culture (film, music) incorporated through class sessions and student presentations. Students who have not completed RUSS 203 should consult the instructor.
  MW 1:10–2:10, TR 1:15–2:40

  RUSS 210: Introduction to Russian Literature
  Nancy Tittler

  Our investigation of the purported “Russian soul” is entirely in keeping with the General Education Humanities goal of “demonstrating an understanding of human experience through literature or philosophy.” As we will discover, from medieval times to the present, the written word – itself a loaded word in Russian – has always been dedicated to Russians’ quest for a meaningful life. Early Orthodox Christian sermons, 19th-century novels, Soviet-era satires, prison memoirs and 21st-century fantasies all share a preoccupation with, in Lev Tolstoy’s words, “What Men Live By.” What makes us a nation? How should we treat our neighbors? How should we respond to another’s suffering? How shall we find love? How can we maintain our sense of self in a repressive environment? What is our place in the contemporary world? Russian literature is particularly rich in its address of universal questions; thus, your close and careful reading of some of its great texts should profoundly affect your own journey as you steer your course beyond the university walls.
  H, W | MWF 10:50–11:50

  RUSS 212: Russian for Russian Speakers II
  Marina Zalesski

  This is an intermediate Russian language course, designed for heritage students who have successfully completed the beginning course “Russian for Russian Speakers I” (RUSS 111) or for English-speaking students who have completed at least four semesters of Russian. The course concentrates on the reinforcement of skills obtained at the beginning level. Students will be challenged to read, write and speak on a variety of cultural topics introduced through an array of Russian materials: films, TV programs, podcasts, articles, news and blogs. This course aims to expand students’ understanding of current events, to broaden their cultural knowledge, and develop a sense of pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage. High emphasis on grammatical accuracy and culture of speech will help students to gain confidence in using Russian at a more sophisticated level, and, perhaps, in some professional settings.
  MW 1:10–2:10, TR 1:15–2:40

  RUSS 280A: Russians in Soviet Film
  Marina Zalesski

  This course introduces students to Soviet cinema from its beginnings through the time of Perestroika. The course focuses on the issue of Russian cultural identity and cultural legacy under the pressures of Soviet ideology. It will examine cinema's role as the “most important media for educating the masses”, which established new artistic criteria, spread new Soviet values, and, paradoxically, helped to preserve Russian classical artistic traditions. The course will introduce most prominent examples of Soviet cinematography (Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera; Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin; Gaidai’s comedies; Tarkovsky’s Stalker and other films), which will be analyzed as texts within aesthetic, socio-political, historical and theoretical backgrounds. Students will learn about prominent Soviet writers, film directors and actors and analyze ways in which they were able to navigate between their conscience and political compliance, their artistic mission and ideological mediocrity to produce universally acknowledged masterpieces of world cinematography.
  H | TR 11:40–1:05

  RUSS 280B: Disinformation and Naivete II
  Sidney Dement

  A significant lack of knowledge about Russian culture and history plays a pivotal role in many different areas of interest: the news, film, literature, tourism, pedagogy, international relations, arms proliferation, NATO expansion, internet policy, approaches to medical practice, and especially disinformation. In this course, students develop and practice research skills to conceptualize how gaps in knowledge shape discourses in and about Russia while also searching for ways to identify and address those gaps. Disinformation plays a particularly significant role in naiveté about Russia since the idea of disinformation belongs to Cold War discourse and, arguably, entered the English language through the Russian “dezinformatsiia.” As the second part of a two-course sequence sponsored by the “Source Project” (Binghamton University’s undergraduate research stream for first-year students), this course provides collaborative and mentoring structure for students as they conduct a research project designed to implement the knowledge and skills they acquired in RUSS 180, "Disinformation and Naivete."
  J | MWF 12–1

  RUSS 306: Advanced Russian Reading & Composition
  Marina Zalesski

  Continuation of RUSS 305 with similar emphasis on reading, writing and retelling skills. Additional focus on understanding Russian news media, including newspapers and broadcasts.
  MWF 12–1

  RUSS 341: Modern Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  What was read by – or fed to – “the most reading people in the world?” What do Russians read today? In this course we will read representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the twentieth century, including Zamyatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and Pelevin. We will consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Through detailed textual analysis, students will become sensitive to the particular experience of 20th and 21st-century Russian writers as they assumed the mantle of moral authority from their predecessors, enjoyed a decade of relative creative freedom, entered the straits of Socialist Realism and began to shape a post-Soviet culture.
  C, H | TR 10:05–11:30

  RUSS 380C: Protest, Performance and Russia
  Ania Nikulina

  Historical development of theatrical and public performance has been both reflective and reflexive of cultural, political, and social changes in Russia throughout its imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet history. This course will examine the production of both ideologically conforming and resistive performances across multiple spheres of cultural engagement and analyze how forms of power and social identities shape and are shaped by politically engaging performance. Specifically, this course will look at the culture-defining political processes in Russia and their impact on structuring state-supported and unsanctioned performances both as a form of state propaganda, and, conversely, as spaces for solidarity, resistance, and dialogue.
  A, O | TR 2:50–4:15
  

• Fall 2021

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian 1
  Nancy Tittler

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. 
  Gen Ed: FL1

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture & Civilization
  Marina Zalesski

  The course provides a chronological overview of Russian civilization from pre-Christian times to the 20th century, paying particular attention to the geographic, social, artistic, economic, and political forces that have combined to give the Russian people and their culture their unique characteristics. It will examine Russia as a cultural, national, and historical entity part of and yet apart from both Europe and Asia through a variety of sources such as literature, music, film, visual arts, and historical documents. The course will examine certain determinants of Russian culture, including Christianity, multi-nationalism, and the status of Russian civilization on the periphery of Europe. Course will examine myths, traditions and events that have shaped Russians' view of themselves as a people as well as the image of Russia on the world stage. 
  Gen Ed: H

  RUSS 111: Russian for Russian Speakers I
  Marina Zalesski

  This course is designed for students who use conversational Russian at home but lack basic literacy, writing and reading skills. Students will learn the basics of Russian phonetics, morphology and grammar and practice their skills in creating monologues, conducting interviews, writing stories and participating in discussions. Reading component of the course is designed to accompany theme-based chapters and to help students to expand their vocabulary beyond the home use. This class is designed for heritage speakers of Russian and is not suitable for native speakers of Russian. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with all questions regarding their proficiency level. 
  Gen Ed: FL1

  RUSS 180D: Disinformation and Naivete
  Sidney Dement

  A significant lack of knowledge about Russian culture and history plays a pivotal role in many different areas of interest: the news, film, literature, tourism, pedagogy, international relations, arms proliferation, NATO expansion, internet policy, approaches to medical practice, and especially disinformation. In this course, students develop and practice research skills to conceptualize how gaps in knowledge shape discourses in and about Russia while also searching for ways to identify and address those gaps. Disinformation plays a particularly significant role in naiveté about Russia since the idea of disinformation belongs to Cold War discourse and, arguably, entered the English language through the Russian “dezinformatsiia.” As the first part of a two-course sequence sponsored by the “Source Project” (Binghamton University’s undergraduate research stream for first-year students), this course introduces students to the historical and literary dimensions of disinformation and naiveté related to Russia in order to prepare them for part II, a subsequent course (spring 2022), in which students conduct a research project designed to implement the knowledge and skills they acquired in this course.
  Gen Ed: H

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Sidney Dement

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian. 
  Gen Ed: FL3

  RUSS 305: Advanced Russian Reading and Composition I
  Marina Zalesski

  Acquisition of substantial vocabulary from various aspects of daily life; description of surroundings, character traits, interpersonal relations, cops-and-robbers, etc. Intensive speaking and writing practice; focus on developing a Russian writing style. Three hours a week; grades based on participation, quizzes, exams and written work. Prerequisites: RUSS 204 or equivalent. Not for native speakers. 

  RUSS 325: Demons, Fools & Madmen
  Nancy Tittler

  Demons, fools and madmen course throughout Russian culture, from folklore to film. Surely their persistence contributes significantly to the long-held notion that, in Virginia Woolf’s words, “it is the soul that is the chief character in Russian fiction,” and a tormented soul, at that. This course will trace such particularly Russian manifestations as the “holy fool” and “petty demon,” the “little man” and “madmen’s memoirs,” against a background of folkloric, theological, existential and political considerations. Although not a medical course – we will not learn how to diagnose and treat mental illness – our journey will investigate some fundamental questions concerning madness and culture. For instance, is there a discernible boundary between insanity and imagination? Do criteria for madness change as a culture evolves? Is madness a destructive delusion or a frightening reflection of the passions, ambitions and malaise of “normal” society? Finally, who is insane: the incarcerated or those who would lock them up? Our close readings of folklore and classic Russian literature, enhanced by art and film viewing and critical commentary, will inevitably prompt students to probe the theme of madness and culture in the present day and beyond the boundaries of Russia, thus enhancing our understanding of human experience through the study of literature.
  Gen Ed: C, H 

• Spring 2021

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Continuation of RUSS 101. Communicative activities involving everyday conversation.

  RUSS 204: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian.

  RUSS 261: Russian Popular Culture
  Marina Zalesski

  This course presents popular culture as a historical text reflecting national consciousness and memory of the people, and containing answers to nation's behavior, their perceptions of and reactions to the world around them. Course analyses mechanisms of political propaganda and modern marketing, as well as the science behind what makes something go viral. It evaluates relationship between mass, popular and high cultures on the examples of pre-Soviet, Soviet and modern era literature, cinema, and entertainment arts with the purpose of studying people's role as both creators and recipients of popular culture. This class meets twice a week, one additional session is scheduled in the evening for occasional film viewing. Most films, however, will be available online. H

  RUSS 341: 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the 20th century to the present, including Zamiatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and others. Through critical readings and films, students consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Students who read Russian are encouraged to read the original Russian texts. All classes are conducted in English. C, H

  RUSS 351: Russia's Defiant Women
  Nancy Tittler

  We will consider the experience of women as characters as well as authors of Russian literature. Patterns of behavior, as manifest in both these roles, will be traced through folklore, fiction and memoir from medieval times to the present. These patterns will be seen to reflect and challenge themes fundamental to Russian culture, including moral strength, family and community, and the traditional role of Russian literature as a socio-political forum. By semester's end, you will have gained an understanding of the evolving female role in Russian society, as chronicled in literature, as well as in the creation and production of that literature.

  RUSS 380A: Russian Christianity
  Sidney Dement

  This course examines Russian Christianity from multiple perspectives (history, culture, religious studies, literature, contemporary activism) to provide an introduction to Christianity in Russia and the many ways that it has shaped and continues to shape Russian society. In addition to reading primary literary, religious, and philosophical texts, students also explore scholarly analyses of how Christianity has intersected with the many other religious traditions historically practiced by people in Russia.

  RUSS 380B: Advanced Conversational Russian
  Marina Zalesski

  Advanced Conversational Russian offers a semester of intensive conversational practice and grammatical review for students with at least two years of Russian or heritage speakers who completed Russian for Russian Speakers course sequence. Students will work on relevant and interesting projects, involving an abundance of authentic materials: films, talk shows, blogs, short magazine and newspaper articles, interviews, and podcasts. Grammar review will include case system, verbal aspect, prefixed verbs of motion, gerunds, and construction of complex sentences.

• Fall 2020

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. Offered in the Fall only. For students with no prior knowledge of Russian.

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture and Civilization
  Sidney Dement

  We will examine the myths, traditions and events that have shaped the Russians’ view of themselves as a people, as well as the image of Russia on the world stage, from earliest beginnings to the present day. Three weekly lecture-discussions will incorporate literature, film, visual arts, music and other cultural artifacts. Students will be encouraged to express and reexamine their own notions of culture and national identity in general, and of Russia and the Russians in particular. By semester’s end, students should be able to demonstrate understanding of Russians’ cultural reactions to the political and social events that have shaped their history, from pre-Chrisrtian Slavdom through Klevan and Muscovite civilizations, the Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet eras, as well as the increasing segmentation of their social structure through the centuries.
  Course counts as H

  RUSS 180R: Russian Short Stories in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Storytelling is a powerful tool! This course will explore the ways Russians, from the 17th to the 21st centuries, have shaped their stories to reflect their view of themselves, their society and their place in the wider world. From Gothic gloom to slapstick satire, whether evading censorship or probing the questions of the day, Russian stories offer astute observation of human nature.

  H

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian.

  RUSS 215: Slavic Folklore
  Sidney Dement

  Folklore is an enduring part of the human experience, connecting the distant human past with our contemporary lives in ways we do not always recognize. Folklore defines national, regional, class, and occupational identity and gives meaning to the life of a people (an “ethnos”), even in the modern period. The goal of our course is to explore the discipline of folkloristics using the content of Slavic folklore, comparing it at relevant times to our own American or European-rooted folklore. Content includes mythology; life, birth, and death rituals; calendrical festivals; folk tales; superstitions, proverbs, riddles, and other genres of the Slavic oral tradition.
  Course counts as C, H

  RUSS 280X: The Fairy Tale
  Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

  Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.

  H, W

  RUSS 321: 19th-Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Through close reading and detailed textual analysis, students will become familiar with the development of Russian narrative prose in the nineteenth century, beginning with the question, “Why the nineteenth century?” and its reflection of universal as well as particularly Russian themes. In discussion and writing, students will display an understanding of basic literary terms, as presented in class and posted on Bb.

  Course counts as C, H

  RUSS 380E: Borderlands of Eastern Europe
  Heather DeHaan

  HIST 381E/RUSS 380E - Borderlands of Eastern Europe Professor Heather DeHaan Fall 2020 Course Description: This course explores the history of the peoples and places located at the former or current edges of European borderlands. From Central Asia to the Caucasus and central Europe, this course discusses the conflict and co-existence of diverse cultural, religious, regional, class, and state entities in those places where empires meet, conflict, and sometimes shatter. Course themes include the flow of people across imperial and state boundaries, the origins and nature of ethno-religious violence, the problem of the nation-state, and the complex domestic and geopolitics of post-imperial countries.

  N, W

• Spring 2020

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Continuation of RUSS 101. Communicative activities involving everyday conversation.

  RUSS 204: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian.

  RUSS 210/COLI 280U/ENG 200E: Introduction to Russian Literature
  Nancy Tittler

  Introduction to the most important Russian texts from the beginnings of Russian literature to the present. Students apply the tools of literary analysis to representative novels, short stories and drama within the context of Russian cultural history. The class is conducted in English.
  Class counts as H, W

  RUSS 212: Russian for Russian Speakers II
  Marina Zalesski

  This is an intermediate Russian language course, designed for heritage students who have successfully completed the beginning course “Russian for Russian Speakers I” (RUSS 111) or for English-speaking students who have completed at least four semesters of Russian. The course concentrates on the reinforcement of skills obtained at the beginning level. Students will be challenged to read, write and speak on a variety of cultural topics introduced through an array of Russian materials: films, TV programs, podcasts, articles, news and blogs. This course aims to expand students’ understanding of current events, to broaden their cultural knowledge, and develop a sense of pride in their linguistic and cultural heritage. High emphasis on grammatical accuracy and culture of speech will help students to gain confidence in using Russian at a more sophisticated level, and, perhaps, in some professional settings. 

  RUSS 341: 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the 20th century to the present, including Zamiatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and others. Through critical readings and films, students consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Students who read Russian are encouraged to read the original Russian texts. All classes are conducted in English.
  Gen Ed: C, H

  RUSS 380T: From Lenin to Stalin
  Chelsea Gibson

  This course examines the first four-decades of the USSR from its creation in 1917 until 1953. Using culture as its primary focus of analysis, this course will explore the ways that the Soviet government and people imagined the USSR and what it mean to be a Soviet citizen, and how those meanings changed over time. It will also examine the lives of Lenin and Stalin and examine the how the "cult of personality" emerged in the USSR and how it shaped society, culture, and politics in the Soviet Union. This course will also integrate material about the USSR's changing relationship with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the United States. Students will be expected to complete weekly readings of both primary and secondary sources, and complete a research project by the end of the course.
  Gen Ed: N

• Fall 2019

  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. Offered in the Fall only. For students with no prior knowledge of Russian.

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture and Civilization
  Sidney Dement

  We will examine the myths, traditions and events that have shaped the Russians’ view of themselves as a people, as well as the image of Russia on the world stage, from earliest beginnings to the present day. Three weekly lecture-discussions will incorporate literature, film, visual arts, music and other cultural artifacts. Students will be encouraged to express and reexamine their own notions of culture and national identity in general, and of Russia and the Russians in particular. By semester’s end, students should be able to demonstrate understanding of Russians’ cultural reactions to the political and social events that have shaped their history, from pre-Chrisrtian Slavdom through Klevan and Muscovite civilizations, the Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet eras, as well as the increasing segmentation of their social structure through the centuries.
  Course counts as H

  RUSS 111: Russian for Russian Speakers I
  Marina Zalesski

  This course provides reading and writing skills for students who speak Russian but lack, or have minimal, literacy. Focuses on achieving grammatical accuracy in writing and speaking, while introducing students to the basics of Russian grammar: declensions, conjugations, sentence structure and spelling rules. The course places special emphasis on reestablishing students' cultural connection to Russia.

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Sidney Dement

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian.

  RUSS 321: 19th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Through close reading and detailed textual analysis, students will become familiar with the development of Russian narrative prose in the nineteenth century, beginning with the question, “Why the nineteenth century?” and its reflection of universal as well as particularly Russian themes. In discussion and writing, students will display an understanding of basic literary terms, as presented in class and posted on Bb.
  Course counts as C, H

  RUSS 325: Demons, Fools, and Madmen
  Nancy Tittler

  This course investigates demons, fools and madmen throughout Russian culture, from folklore to film, including such particularly Russian manifestations as the "holy fool" and "petty demon," against a background of folkloric, theological, existential and political considerations. We will probe questions including the boundary between insanity and imagination, the evolving criteria for madness and insanity as a reflection of the passions, ambitions and malaise of "normal" society.

  Course counts as H, W

• Spring 2019

  RUSS 102: Elementary Russian II
  Nancy Tittler, Marina Zalesski

  Continuation of RUSS 101. Communicative activities involving everyday conversation.

  RUSS 204: Intermediate Russian II
  Sidney Dement

  Students finish learning the basic elements of Russian grammar, expand their command of vocabulary and begin to read more extensive selections of Russian prose. Emphasizes conversation in practical, everyday situations. Aspects of Russian culture (film, music) incorporated through class sessions and student presentations.

  RUSS 210/COLI 280U/ENG 200E: Introduction to Russian Literature
  Nancy Tittler

  Introduction to the most important Russian texts from the beginnings of Russian literature to the present. Students apply the tools of literary analysis to representative novels, short stories and drama within the context of Russian cultural history. The class is conducted in English.
  Class counts as H, W

  RUSS 215: Slavic Folklore
  Sidney Dement

  Folklore is an enduring part of the human experience, connecting the distant human past with our contemporary lives in ways we do not always recognize. Folklore defines national, regional, class, and occupational identity and gives meaning to the life of a people (an "ethnos"), even in the modern period. The goal of our course is to explore the discipline of folkloristics using the content of Slavic folklore, comparing it at relevant times to our own American or European-rooted folklore. Content includes mythology; life, birth, and death rituals; calendrical festivals; folk tales; superstitions, proverbs, riddles, and other genres of the Slavic oral tradition.
  Gen Ed: C, H

  RUSS 280A: Russians in Soviet Film
  Marina Zalesski

  This course will introduce students to Soviet cinema from its beginnings through the time of perestroika. The course will concentrate on the issue of Russian cultural identity and cultural legacy under the pressures of Soviet ideology. It will examine cinema's role as the media which spread the new Soviet values, established a new artistic criterion, and, ironically, helped to preserve the best Russian artistic traditions. Course will introduce "The Russians": prominent Soviet writers, film directors, and actors; teach about their contributions to world cinematography and analyze the ways in which they were able to navigate between their conscience and political compliance, their artistic mission and ideological mediocrity. The course will introduce most prominent multigenre examples of Soviet cinematography, which will be analyzed as texts within aesthetic, sociopolitical, historical and theoretical backgrounds.

   Gen Ed: W

  RUSS 306: Advanced Reading and Composition II
  Marina Zalesski

  Continuation of RUSS 305 with similar emphasis on reading, writing and retelling skills. Additional focus on understanding Russian news media, including newspapers and broadcasts.

  RUSS 341: 20th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Representative works by some of the major Russian prose writers of the 20th century to the present, including Zamiatin, Mayakovsky, Zoshchenko, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya, Petrushevskaya and others. Through critical readings and films, students consider these works in the context of Russian (including Soviet) cultural history and their reception abroad. Students who read Russian are encouraged to read the original Russian texts. All classes are conducted in English.
  Gen Ed: C, H

  RUSS 371: Russia and the World
  Chelsea Gibson

  A cultural history of Russia/the Soviet Union since 1900, focusing primarily on Russia's interaction with America and the West, but examining Russia's interaction with its Asian neighbors as well. Begins with an introduction to the rich world of Russian cultural expression at the beginning of the 20th century, including cinema, cartoons and literature. Studies changing patterns of interaction with America and the West during the Stalin era and in the cultural thaw of the 1960s. Deals extensively with cultural changes in the past 30 years, using film, newspapers, journals, music, literature, posters, and advertising.
  Gen Ed: G, O, W

  RUSS 380A: Ballet in Cultural Context
  William Lawson

  This course will be devoted to a study of the ballets of Marius Petipa (1818-1910), making use of research undertaken during his bicentennial year, which has just passed. Petipa was born in France, but spent most of his career (some sixty years) directing the Imperial Russian Ballet. His greatest ballets, such as The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and La Bayadere, are still performed today and form the basis of the modern classical ballet repertoire around the world. Over the course of the semester particular emphasis will be placed on understanding Petipa's works in their cultural context, both at the time of their original productions and over the more than a century that has elapsed since they first appeared. As a ballet master Petipa had not only to deal with ballet dancing and choreography, but with all aspects of production: working with librettists to write an effective scenario, commissioning and collaborating with composers to write original music, integrating the work of set and costume designers, and even dealing with technical aspects such as stage machinery and newly invented electric lighting effects. Petipa began his career at the height of the Romantic movement in ballet, during which the ballerina reigned supreme. Although the prima ballerina retained a preeminent position in his productions, Petipa in forging the style of modern classical ballet, transformed the image of the frail sylph into that of a woman of astonishing virtuosity and strength. Exploring Petipa's work, then, provides plenty of opportunities for students from many different backgrounds to bring their specialties to the subject. This course would be highly relevant to students of theatre (both dance and technical), music, art, art history, history, literature, and gender studies. There will be plenty of opportunity for students of French, Russian, and Spanish languages to work with previously untranslated sources. This is a W course, and students will be given every opportunity to shape their final paper projects to their individual interests.
  Gen Ed: W

  RUSS 380T: Translating Children's Literature
  Youn Soo Kim

  This course is designed for students with dual language skills who are interested in the fields of translation and translation studies and in practicing translating children's literature from around the world into English. By combining readings on translation studies with translation assignments and projects, this course offers an opportunity for students to put theory into practice. We will not only read about translation strategies and theories, but we will also examine the role that children's literature has played throughout history in a given culture as well as across cultures through translation. We will also discuss the various subgenres within children's literature such as picture books, chapter books, YA novels, fantasy and sci fi novels, etc. Furthermore, we will think, write, and discuss about the source texts we choose, the source cultures from which the texts originate, the target culture into which we translate, and the target audience for whom we translate. Most importantly, by actively making decisions as translators and presenting on the choices we make as translators, students will experience the agency of the translator that is inevitable and expected in the act of translation. Throughout the semester, we will consider the following questions: Why is it important for children to read literature from other languages and cultures? Who or what decides whether a book is considered "children's literature?" How is the translator present and active in the translation s/he produces? All translations will be rendered from another language into English. As such, along with fluency in writing in English, students are expected to have a decent reading level in another language.

  RUSS 480S: Soviet Genocide
  Heather Dehaan

  Genocide and Mass Atrocity in Soviet History This course examines the roots of the various genocides and mass atrocities that took place within and along the borders of the former Soviet Union. It evaluates the causal significance of such factors as Soviet policies with regard to class, nation, and gender; the power of nationalism as a tool of geopolitics; Soviet security concerns; and the transnational flow of refugees, traumas, and violence at times of war. Specific topics include refugees in the world wars, Soviet cultural, nationality, and class policies, the Ukrainian Holodomor, the Great Purges, Soviet ethnic cleansings and deportations in the late 1930s, Soviet responses to the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide, and also the impact of Soviet collapse on bodies, borders, and identities across Eurasia. 

• Fall 2018 
  RUSS 101: Elementary Russian I

  Sidney Dement, Nancy Tittler

  Russian is a living language! We will concentrate primarily on oral communication, as well as listening reading and writing skills. By semester’s end, students should be able to converse on a number of everyday topics, including getting acquainted, daily activities, education, family, clothing. In addition to learning to talk about their own lives, students will gain an understanding of these areas of contemporary Russian life. Grammar elements to be mastered include the first three noun + adjective cases, past-and present-tense verbs and an introduction to verbs of motion. Class meetings will be devoted to intensive oral practice. Background grammar and vocabulary material, as well as listening exercises will be prepared at home, so that you may raise questions and reinforce in class what you have learned from your reading. Offered in the Fall only. For students with no prior knowledge of Russian.

  RUSS 110: Russian Culture and Civilization
  Marina Zalesski

  We will examine the myths, traditions and events that have shaped the Russians’ view of themselves as a people, as well as the image of Russia on the world stage, from earliest beginnings to the present day. Three weekly lecture-discussions will incorporate literature, film, visual arts, music and other cultural artifacts. Students will be encouraged to express and reexamine their own notions of culture and national identity in general, and of Russia and the Russians in particular. By semester’s end, students should be able to demonstrate understanding of Russians’ cultural reactions to the political and social events that have shaped their history, from pre-Chrisrtian Slavdom through Klevan and Muscovite civilizations, the Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet eras, as well as the increasing segmentation of their social structure through the centuries.
  Course counts as H

  RUSS 203: Intermediate Russian I
  Marina Zalesski

  Continues from elementary Russian II and focuses on continued vocabulary acquisition, improved oral proficiency and greater grammatical accuracy. Aspects of Russian culture (film, stories, music) are incorporated, and students work on improving their ability to communicate in a broad range of situations. Emphasis divided among writing, speaking, listening and reading. Four hours per week. Grades are based on class participation and presentations, quizzes, examinations and written assignments. Prerequisites: RUSS 102 or three years of high school Russian. Not for native speakers of Russian.

  RUSS 280X: The Fairy Tale
  Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit

  Structure and meaning of fairy tales. Oral vs. literary fairy tales. Different approaches to interpreting fairy tales: anthropological, psychological, socio-historical, structuralist. Lectures approximately once a week; discussion; take-home midterm and final exams; two 10-page papers.

  Course counts as H, W

  RUSS 305: Advanced Russian Reading and Composition I
  Marina Zalesski

  Acquisition of substantial vocabulary from various aspects of daily life; description of surroundings, character traits, interpersonal relations, cops-and-robbers, etc. Intensive speaking and writing practice; focus on developing a Russian writing style. Three hours a week; grades based on participation, quizzes, exams and written work. Prerequisites: RUSS 204 or equivalent. Not for native speakers.

  RUSS 321: 19th Century Russian Literature in Translation
  Nancy Tittler

  Through close reading and detailed textual analysis, students will become familiar with the development of Russian narrative prose in the nineteenth century, beginning with the question, “Why the nineteenth century?” and its reflection of universal as well as particularly Russian themes. In discussion and writing, students will display an understanding of basic literary terms, as presented in class and posted on Bb.
  Course counts as C, H

  RUSS 351: Russia's Defiant Women
  Nancy Tittler

  We will consider the experience of women as characters as well as authors of Russian literature. Patterns of behavior, as manifest in both these roles, will be traced through folklore, fiction and memoir from medieval times to the present. These patterns will be seen to reflect and challenge themes fundamental to Russian culture, including moral strength, family and community, and the traditional role of Russian literature as a socio-political forum. By semester's end, you will have gained an understanding of the evolving female role in Russian society, as chronicled in literature, as well as in the creation and production of that literature.

  Course counts as H, W

  RUSS 380C: Stalingrad
  Sidney Dement, Harald Zils

  The battle of Stalingrad, fought more than seventy years ago, is burned into the cultural memories of Germans and Russians to this day. More than 700,000 people died; it was the beginning of the end of Hitler's War. This course investigates the battle and its aftermath in German and Russian culture. In order to examine the multiple perspectives on this cultural and historical watershed more fully, GERM 380G, taught by Prof. Zils, and RUSS 380D, taught by Prof. Dement, meet together. We discuss the historical event, its consequences for WW II, the soldiers' and civilians' perspectives, the images of the war in German and Russian propaganda and its impact on German and Russian public discourse, movies, art and literature. Two 8-page papers, one group presentation. This is a course that is team-taught by faculty members of the German Studies and Russian Studies programs. Therefore, there are sections listed and cross-listed in the German Studies as well as in the Russian Studies program. All sections will meet and be taught as one.

  Course counts as H, W

  UNIV 101R: The Ballets of Marius Petipa
  William Lawson

  This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great ballet choreographer Marius Petipa. He was born in France, but had a career of some sixty years in St. Petersburg as ballet master of the Imperial Russian Ballet. His surviving works are the foundation of the modern classical ballet repertoire. MW 2:20-3:20 FA 244