"Mythic Russia" is an invitation to consider a non-Western--Russian--culture's belief system as expressed in its folklore. This course comprises four major themes, articulated in the following categories of texts, both verbal and visual:(1) a survey of Russian demonology, which illustrates the animistic nature of Russian popular beliefs about the world that persist to this day; (2) a large selection of the best-known Russian fairy tales, to be compared with German and English tales; (3) scholarly articles analyzing the differences between folklore and literature and representing various theoretical/critical schools: Structuralism, Marxism, Freudianism; and feminism; (4) literary fairy tales. Visual materials (film, paintings, graphics, and handicrafts) and music inspired by Russian folklore and fairy tales figure regularly in the course. Through examination of such materials and experiential learning activities, students will develop hermeneutical skills, specifically in analyzing fairy tales in order to understand what underlies their strikingly simple yet enigmatic surface. In addition, they will master the principles of various schools of criticism, in the process assessing their relative explanatory power vis-a-vis sundry texts. Finally, students will develop their understanding and appreciation of the intellectual benefits of diverse perspectives and cross-genre continuities provided by an interdisciplinary, multi-media approach to the cultural phenomenon of the Russian folk tale.

A multimedia examination 20th century utopian visions through the arts in Russia and the Soviet Union.

This course focuses on advancing students' knowledge of spoken Russian and their understanding of linguistic registers. The goal is to expand student's vocabulary and improve students' speaking fluency as well as their ability to speak in Russian with nuanced diverse speech acts. This course will build upon students' foundation of Russian language obtained in RSSS 101-102 Elementary Russian and will teach students to apply the knowledge of Russian grammatical structures to various cultural contexts by involving students in various interactive activities, role plays and class presentations.

Fourth semester Russian.

Third semester Russian.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.

This course will introduce students to the Russian cultural world so that they may begin to solve the riddle, unwrap the mystery, and understand the enigma that is Russia. It is an introduction to Russia's natural beauty, her unique language, and her cultural achievements through the centuries to the present day.

"Kazakhstan- Heart of Eurasia" is a one-unit colloquium on Modern Kazakhstan - the ninth largest country in the world, located at the crossroads of Europe and Central Asia. This great, yet largely unknown country, a home for more than 100 ethnicities, and ruled by a feeling of understanding and harmony, has served for centuries as a bridge for Europe and Asia through the Great Silk Road. Today, Kazakhstan continues to be central in providing modern ideas in sustaining peace, democracy, and economic growth in our Global World. In the first half of the course, we will explore extraordinary rich traditional Kazakh culture, music, oral traditions, clothing, yurts, and food- capped with celebration of National and Traditional Holidays. The second part of the course will be based on the historical events of great importance in Kazakhstan during the Soviet Era, which include starvation, arrests, exploitation of resources, deportation and return, and modern Kazakhstan's strategic efforts in building a new nation.

This course will introduce students to Russian history and culture as reflected in the country's music. Students will examine Russian folklore, religion, history, and literature; they will survey how key Russian narratives have been embedded in folk and religious music, opera, ballet, film scores, pop, rock, and rap music, and how such music articulates Russian values.

This course examines contemporary Russian culture and politics in a historical context, determining how the country's past influences present day culture and politics. We will learn of Russia's recent cultural and artistic triumphs within the context of Russia's rich history. In discussing Russian literary and cinematic works of the early 21st century, we will assess the impact of history on Russian consciousness and identity, noting how Russia presents itself around the world, and how it is perceived by other nations.