Russian (RUSS)
Chair: Professor Laura Goering
Professors: Laura Goering, Diane M. Nemec Ignashev
Lecturer: Anna Mikhailovna Dotlibova
Students considering language study outside the Western European offerings will find the Russian series a refreshing change. In our first-year sequence we cover the fundamentals with equal emphasis on speaking, listening, writing, and reading, using materials that simultaneously illustrate the basics of Russian culture. Traditional materials are supplemented by fairy tales, folk songs, rock music video, film clips and internet materials. By the end of the Russian 204, students are able to read short prose by Chekhov, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, and to communicate functionally with native speakers. Beyond completion of the requirement (usually in Russian 204) the Russian section offers classes addressing contemporary Russian cultural and social issues while focusing on skill development at the intermediate level (205-206), and language maintenance courses at the advanced level (301). Students with pre-college Russian, either acquired or native, should consult the department for placement information.
Literature and Cultural Studies:
We teach a variety of courses in English translation which carry no language prerequisites (230-295). Courses at the 330-395 level that are conducted entirely in Russian aim to expand students' linguistic range as well as their understanding of analytical techniques and cultural contexts. See individual listings below for prerequisites.
Requirements for a Major:
63 credits, including the following: Russian 205; 206 or 207; 12 credits of survey courses in English (Russian 150, 242, 244, 255, 268); 18 credits numbered 330 or above, six of which will normally be Russian 395; and the integrative exercise. Up to six credits in Russian 301-308 can be counted toward the major. Remaining credits may be chosen in consultation with the advisor from: departmental offerings, study abroad, appropriate methodology courses, related field work, etc. Students are strongly advised to include Russian and Eurasian courses from other disciplines in their electives.
Study Abroad:
Participation in foreign study programs is highly recommended for students majoring or concentrating in the Russian field. For a description of the Carleton Moscow Program and information about the ACM Krasnodar Program, consult the section "Off-Campus Studies." For more details about these and other options you should consult faculty in the Russian section. Departmental approval of credit for participation in overseas programs should be sought before leaving campus.
Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Foreign Language and Area Studies: In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in Russian, students must fulfill the general requirements (refer to Academic Regulations) in the following course distribution: six courses beyond 103, including 205 and two courses at the 330 level (346 excluded). Additional courses may be chosen from among other offerings in the Russian section, History 240-241, Economics 231, and Political Science 323.
Language House: Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language by living in the Language House. A native Russian Resident Associate provides opportunities for conversation practice and assists students in organizing a variety of cultural activities.
Russian Courses
RUSS 101. Elementary Russian For students with no previous training in or minimal knowledge of Russian. Simultaneous development of skills in speaking, reading, aural comprehension, writing. Students with prior instruction or who speak Russian at home should consult the department for placement information. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—Staff
RUSS 102. Elementary Russian Continues Russian 101. Prerequisite: Russian 101 or placement. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits cr., ND, Winter—Staff
RUSS 103. Elementary Russian Concludes introductory method of Russian 101-102. Prerequisite: Russian 102 or placement. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits cr., ND, Spring—Staff
RUSS 107. Moscow Program: Beginning Grammar This course will focus on continued study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, vocabulary expansion, and activation. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. Prerequisite: For students who have just recently begun their study of the Russian language, having completed or tested beyond elementary Russian 102. 4 Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 108. Moscow Program: Beginning Phonetics This course is taken in combination with Russian 107. Students focus on the essentials of Russian pronunciation with preliminary work in intonation. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 2 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 109. Moscow Program: Beginning Conversation This course is taken in combination with Russian 107. Emphasis on socially relevant material. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credit cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 150. Contemporary Russian Culture and Society A multi-media survey of Russian society and culture since 1975. Primary materials span Russia's most popular media: from film, the performing arts, literature (especially autobiography), and the legitimate press, to rock, TV, and digital culture. Secondary sources cover journalistic reports by foreigners alongside the more influential Russian theories of national identity and destiny of the timetheir roots in the past and evolution in the present. In the cross-cultural component, we will look at Russian attitudes towards Americans as they have changed over the past two decades. Lecture with discussion. No training in Russian language or Russian studies required. No prerequisites. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Fall—D. Nemec Ignashev
RUSS 204. Intermediate Russian Continued four-skill development using texts and resources from a variety of sources. Emphasis on communicative skills. Prerequisite: Russian 103 or placement. Class meets four days a week. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—Staff
RUSS 205. Russian in Cultural Contexts In this course students continue to develop skills of narration, listening comprehension, and writing, while exploring issues of contemporary Russian life and consciousness. The issues are examined from the position of two cultures: American and Russian. The course draws on a variety of sources for reading and viewing, including the periodic press, film, and music. Prerequisite: Russian 204 or placement. 6 credits cr., ND, Winter—A. Dotlibova
RUSS 206. Reading Russian In this course students will develop skills and strategies for reading a variety of authentic texts, including a full-length novel. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or consent of the instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 207. Moscow Program: Intermediate Grammar This course aims at vocabulary expansion and the assimilation and activation of formulaic conversational structures and speech etiquette at the same it develops familiarity with more complex principles Russian grammar. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or placement. 4 Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 208. Moscow Program: Intermediate Phonetics This course is taken in combination with Russian 207. Students focus on the essentials of Russian pronunciation and correction. Preliminary work in intonation will be offered. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 2 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 209. Moscow Program: Intermediate Conversation This course is taken in combination with Russian 207. Emphasis will be placed on socially relevant reading materials. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credit cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
Courses numbered 220-270 are devoted to surveys and topics in translation. Usually, these courses do not carry prerequisites.
RUSS 226. Moscow Program: Family Happiness This course will explore the Russian notion of family, beginning with legends and tales from Old Russia, continuing through the great family novels of the 19th century, and concluding with a study of contemporary families and the pressure they encounter in post-soviet Russia. A part of our reading will be devoted to the families of the Russian Decembrists and their exile to Siberia, to differences in family life between Russia's two historic capitals, St. Petersburg and Moscow, and to differing concepts of family as influenced by ethnicity. Conducted in English. 6 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 244. Russian Literature in Translation: The Novel A survey of representative works from the early 19th century to the present. Close textual analysis will be combined with discussion of the evolution of the genre in its historical and cultural context. Works by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bulgakov and others. No prior knowledge of Russian or Russian history is required. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 255. Russian Cinema: History and Theory Cross-listed with MEDA 255. This course offers an historical overview of Russian cinema from its inception before the revolution of 1917, through the Soviet epoch, and into the era of independent Russia. Focus on the history of the medium in its distinctly Russian context is complemented with an overview of Russian film theory as applied in analysis. No prior knowledge of Russian language or culture is required. All films will be subtitled. Format: 2 screenings per week, readings, discussion, short papers. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Winter—D. Nemec Ignashev
RUSS 266. Dostoevsky An introduction to the works of Dostoevsky. Readings include Poor Folk, Notes from the Underground, and The Brothers Karamazov. Conducted entirely in English. No prerequisites and no knowledge of Russian literature or history required. 3 credits cr., AL, Spring—L. Goering
RUSS 267. War and Peace Close reading and discussion of Tolstoy's magnum opus. Conducted entirely in English. No prerequisites and no knowledge of Russian literature or history required. 3 credits cr., AL, Spring—L. Goering
RUSS 268. Russian Fiction of the Soviet Period: "I Want to Be Honest" What avenues of literary expression are open to a writer when the government declares "socialist realism" to be the only acceptable artistic method? In this course we will read novels and short prose written in Russia between 1917 and 1991. Writers to be covered will range from those who conformed in varying degrees to governmental strictures to those who risked their lives to circulate their works underground or publish them abroad. Works by Olesha, Bulgakov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaia, and others. In translation. No prerequisite. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 301. Russian Skill Maintenance Continued language practice and skill development, normally for mid-advanced students not currently enrolled in another 300-level Russian course. Weekly conversation-discussion meetings on assigned topics; course materials include current publications, film, video and music. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated according to need; six credits may be counted towards the Russian major. Prerequisite variable. 3 Spring—A. Dotlibova
RUSS 307. Moscow Program: Advanced Grammar This course combines advanced work in Russian grammar (largely corrective) and fundamentals in composition, with conversational Russian. Prerequisite: at least 6-12 credits beyond Russian 205-206. 4 Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 308. Moscow Program: Advanced Phonetics and Intonation This course is taken in combination with Russian 307. Students focus on corrective pronunciation and theory and practice of Russian intonation. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 2 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 309. Moscow Program: Advanced Composition This course is taken in combination with Russian 307. Materials will combine literary classics with the socially relevant. This course is conducted by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credit cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 326. Moscow Program: Family Happiness This course will explore the Russian notion of family, beginning with legends and tales from Old Russia, continuing through the great family novels of the 19th century, and concluding with a study of contemporary families and the pressure they encounter in post-soviet Russia. A part of our reading will be devoted to the families of the Russian Decembrists and their exile to Siberia, to differences in family life between Russia's two historic capitals, St. Petersburg and Moscow, and to differing concepts of family as influenced by ethnicity. Students will do their written work and participate in discussions in Russian. In English. 6 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 336. Pushkin A study of the major poetry, drama and prose of Russia's most important poet. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 345. Russian Cultural Idioms of the 19th Century An introduction to the names, quotations and events that every Russian knowsknowledge which is essential to understanding Russian literature, history and culture of the last two centuries. We will study the works of Russian writers (from Griboedov and Pushkin to Leskov and Dostoevsky), composers (from Glinka and Mussorgsky to Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky), artists (from Briullov and Ivanov to the Itinerants) and actors (from Mochalov to Shchepkin) in the context of social thought and the social movements of the 19th century. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—A. Dotlibova
RUSS 351. Play Chekhov In this course we will read Chekhov through the prism of theater. As a final project students will participate in a "Chekhov Evening" as actors, designers, musicians or literary consultants. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
RUSS 395. Senior Seminar: The Cult of Stalin Drawing on materials from film, literature, architecture, and mass culture, we will examine the cult of Iosif Stalin during "the Leader's" lifetime and continuing into subsequent eras through both repudiation and periodic revivals. We will address the pagan and Christian foundations of the Stalin cult, as well as its connections with the cult of Lenin. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: at least 6 credits at the level of Russian 330 or higher or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—A. Dotlibova
RUSS 400. Integrative Exercise 6 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Fall,Winter,Spring—A. Dotlibova