2016-17 Academic Catalog

This course explores issues central to life in Russia today--e.g., ethnic and religious diversity, gender equality, ecology, poverty (and wealth), demographics, and corruption--through the lens of Russia's arts as developed over the last thousand years. Media include architecture, folklore, nineteenth- and twentieth-century fiction, painting, music, and cinema. Theoretical texts address different approaches to the study of national cultures. Discussions are supplemented by occasional lectures; student assessment is based on participation, a final exam, and short papers designed for inclusion in the portfolio. No knowledge of Russian language or Russian studies assumed or required.