860 Russian Master Course List

Courses in Russian

01:860:101   ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN I (4)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian, intended for students with no prior experience in the language. Development of proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing, as well as the basics of Russian grammar. Introduction to Russian life, culture, history, geography, and traditions.

01:860:102   ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN II (4)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian, intended for students with no prior experience in the language. Development of proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing, as well as the basics of Russian grammar. Introduction to Russian life, culture, history, geography, and traditions.
Prerequisite: 01:860:101 or placement.

01:860:103   ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN CONVERSATION I (1)
Instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media and designed for improvement of aural/oral skills.
Corequisite: 01:860:101 or 107.

01:860:104   ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN CONVERSATION II (1)
Continued study of specific areas of Russian phonetics: vowels, consonants, consonant clusters, basic intonation patterns. Further development of aural and oral skills.
Corequisite: 01:860:102, 107, or 108.

01:860:105   INTENSIVE FIRST-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIAN (6)
Intensive introduction to fundamentals of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, phonetics, and conversation. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:101.

01:860:106   INTENSIVE FIRST-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (8)
Intensive introdution to fundamentals of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, phonetics, and conversation. Taught in Russian by Russian instructors.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:101 and 102.

01:860:120   RUSSIAN FOR READING KNOWLEDGE (3)
Grammar and readings of texts from various fields.
Does not satisfy prerequisite for 01:860:201.

01:860:201   INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN I (4)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian. Develops proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Review and expansion of Russian grammar and vocabulary. Deepening of understanding of Russian life, culture, history, geography, and traditions.
Prerequisite: 01:860:102 or placement.

01:860:202   INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN II (4)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian. Develops proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Review and expansion of Russian grammar and vocabulary. Deepening of understanding of Russian life, culture, history, geography, and traditions.
Prerequisite: 01:860:201 or placement. Fulfills Core Curriculum goal AH q.

01:860:203   INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN CONVERSATION I (1)
Instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media and designed for improvement of aural/oral skills. Practice involved use of text-related and other audio and video material, individual and group work, and recording of student speech for evaluation of pronunciation and fluency.
Corequisites: 01:860:201 or 207.

01:860:204   INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN CONVERSATION II (1)
Instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media and designed for improvement of aural/oral skills. Practice involved use of text-related and other audio and video material, individual and group work, and recording of student speech for evaluation of pronunciation and fluency.
Corequisites: 01:860:202 or 208.

01:860:205   INTENSIVE SECOND-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (6)
Intensive intermediate-level study of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, phonetics, conversation. Reading of short fiction. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:102, 105, 108, or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:201 or 207.

01:860:206   INTENSIVE SECOND-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (8)
Intensive intermediate-level study of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, phonetics, conversation. Reading of short fiction. Taught in Russian by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:102, 105, 106, 108, or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:86:201, 205, 207.

01:860:207   SECOND-YEAR RUSSIAN FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS (4)
Continued study of specific areas of Russian grammar and orthography. Further development of reading, writing, oral skills, and vocabulary building of literary Russian through exposure to a wide variety of texts, media, and film.
Prerequisite: 01:860:107 or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:201.

01:860:208   SECOND-YEAR RUSSIAN FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS (4)
Further study of specific areas of Russian grammar, orthography, and punctuation. Further development of reading, writing, oral skills, and vocabulary building of literary Russian through exposure to a wide variety of texts, media, and film. Focus on composition, translation, and oral presentation skills.
Prerequisite: 01:860:207 or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:202. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal AH q.

01:860:301   ADVANCED RUSSIAN I (3)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian. Strengthens grammatical control and develops proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Development of ability to summarize, develop narration, and use complex grammatical structures and syntactic constructions. Covers many elements of modern Russian life.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202, 208, or placement.

01:860:302   ADVANCED RUSSIAN II (3)
Spoken and written contemporary standard Russian. Strengthens grammatical control and develops proficiency in speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Development of ability to summarize, develop narration, and use complex grammatical structures and syntactic constructions. Covers many elements of modern Russian life.
Prerequisite: 01:860:301 or placement.

01:860:303   ADVANCED RUSSIAN CONVERSATION I (1)
Advanced Russian Conversation is a one-hour course to supplement Russian 301, providing additional work on conversational skills, pronunciation and intonation, and grammatical control in spoken contemporary standard Russian. This course is only open to students who are currently enrolled in Russian 301. This course also provides students with extra opportunities to engage with authentic Russian materials, such as print media and films. 
Corequisites: 01:860:301.

01:860:305   INTENSIVE THIRD-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (6)
Intensive high intermediate-level study of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, conversation, phonetics, reading, and the language of media. Reading of newspapers and unabridged short stories/texts. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202, 205, or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:301.

01:860:306   INTENSIVE THIRD-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (8)
Intensive high intermediate-level study of the Russian language. Focus on grammar, conversation, phonetics, reading, and the language of media. Reading of newspapers and unabridged short stories/texts. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202, 205, 206, 207, or placement. Credit not given for both this course and 01:860:301 or 305.

01:860:351,352   STRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE (3,3)
Advanced course with emphasis on morphology, difficult points of grammar. Theory and extensive drill work.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202, 205, or permission of instructor.

01:860:355   RUSSIAN PHONETICS (3)
Analysis of the Russian phonetic system, intonation, and transcription; emphasis on reading of texts and dialogues.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202, 205, or permission of instructor.

01:860:401   AMERICA THROUGH RUSSIAN EYES (3)
Taught primarily in Russian. Fosters advanced language skills of conversational fluency, listening comprehension, writing and composition, expanded vocabulary, recognition of stylistic registers, and advanced syntax. Skills are practiced while exploring the topic of Russian attitudes to America in the course of the last century.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 or 306 or placement. May be taken out of sequence with 01:860:402, 403, or 404.

01:860:402   RUSSIAN MEDIA AND FILM (3)
Taught primarily in Russian. Fosters advanced language skills of conversational fluency, listening comprehension, writing and composition, expanded vocabulary, recognition of stylistic registers, and advanced syntax. Skills are practices while exploring the topic of Russian attitudes to America in the course of the last century.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 or 306 or placement. May be taken out of sequence with 01:860:401, 403, or 404.

01:860:403   CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN CULTURE: FROM PERESTROIKA TO THE PRESENT (3)
Taught primarily in Russian. Fosters advanced language skills of conversational fluency, listening comprehension, writing and composition, and advanced syntax while exploring the changing contemporary culture of Russia.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 or 306 or placement. May be taken out of sequence with 01:860:401, 402, or 404.

01:860:404   DEBATING GLOBAL ISSUES IN RUSSIAN (3)
Taught primarily in Russian. Fosters advanced language skills of conversational fluency, listening comprehension, writing and composition, and advanced syntax while exploring various questions of global importance.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 or 306 or placement. May be taken out of sequence with 01:860:401, 402, or 403.

01:860:405   INTENSIVE FOURTH-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (6)
Intensive advanced-level study of the Russian language. Focus on advanced points of grammar, stylistics, conversation. Reading of newspapers, contemporary Russian literature, and seminars on area studies. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302, 305, or placement.

01:860:406   INTENSIVE FOURTH-YEAR RUSSIAN IN RUSSIA (8)
Intensive advanced-level study of the Russian language. Focus on advanced points of grammar, stylistics, conversation. Readin gof newspapers, contemporary Russian literature, and seminars on area studies. Taught in Russian in St. Petersburg by Russian instructors.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302, 305, 306, or placement.

01:860:407   CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN CULTURE: THE THAW (3)
Taught primarily in Russian, the course fosters advanced language skills of conversational fluency, listening comprehension, writing and composition, expanded vocabulary, recognition of stylistic registers, and advanced syntax. These skills are practiced while exploring topics in Russian history and culture in the post-Stalin Soviet era.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 or 01:860:306 or placement. May be taken out of sequence with 01:860:401, 402, 403, or 404.

01:860:452   SEMINAR IN SLAVIC LINGUISTICS (3)
Devoted to specific problems in the area of Slavic linguistics. Variable content, e.g., history of the Russian language, readings in Old Russian, advanced problems of morphology.
Prerequisite: 01:860:451 or permission of instructor.

01:860:491,492   RUSSIAN PRACTICUM (3,3)
Drill methods, techniques of facilitating classroom interaction, error analysis, grammar review, and weekly drill sessions conducted in beginning Russian sections under faculty supervision.
Prerequisite: 01:860:302 and/or permission of instructor. Corequisites: 01:860:401,402, if applicable.

Courses in Russian Literature (may be taught in English)

01:860:160   HOW TO READ A RUSSIAN NOVEL (1.5)
A slow journey through one famous Russian novel. Guides students in the basics of reading a literary text from a culture different than our own, providing the rudimentary cultural and historical context. Novels will vary by semester.
All readings and discussions in English.

01:860:259   INTRODUCTION TO 19th CENTURY RUSSIAN LITERATURE (3)
A survey of 19th-century Russian literature in its historical context.
All readings and discussions in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal AH p.

01:860:260   INTRODUCTION TO 20th CENTURY RUSSIAN LITERATURE (3)
A survey of 20th-century Russian literature.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal AH p.

01:860:268   ART AND POWER: VISUAL AND LITERARY CULTURE OF THE SOVIET CENTURY (3)
Official literature and art; literary and art institutions. Official and unofficial art; alternative venues.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:082:204 or 01:195:265 or 01:860:336. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals AH o and AH p.

01:860:272   RUSSIA: BETWEEN EMPIRE AND NATION (3)
Study of Russia's imperial culture, history, and politics from the 19th to the 21st century, as a window into geopolitical shifts in contemporary Russia's relations to the wider world.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:272 or 01:510:277 or 01:860:334. All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals CC andAH p.

01:860:289   TOLSTOY'S WAR AND PEACE (3)
Detailed study of Leo Tolstoy's monumental novel War and Peace (1869) in its historical, cultural, and critical context.
All readings and discussion in English. Credit not given for this course and 01:860:489 or 01:195:489. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal WC d.

01:860:315   READING RUSSIAN LITERATURE IN RUSSIAN (3)
Introduction to critical issues involved in reading texts in Russian. Stylistic register, how grammar is used to create meaning, historical dimensions of style, and lexicon.
All readings in Russian. Required of all majors. Prerequisite: 01:860:202 or 207 or permission of instructor.

01:860:319   SPECIAL TOPICS IN RUSSIAN STUDIES (3)
Variable content. Intensive study of a particular topic related to Russia and Russian culture. Specific topics available at time of registration.

01:860:320   SPECIAL TOPICS IN RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES (3)
Variable content. Intensive study of a particular topic related to Russian and/or other East European culture. Specific topics available at time of registration.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal WC r.

01:860:322   LOVE AND DEATH IN THE RUSSIAN SHORT STORY (3)
Russian short fiction from the 19th to the 21st century. Includes readings in genre theory and the study of critical concepts useful for analyzing fiction.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals AH o, AH p, and WC d.

01:860:325   ST. PETERSBURG: THE CITY AS MONUMENT (3)
Variable content. Intensive study of a particular topic related to St. Petersburg. Specific topics available at time of registration.
Corequisites: Language courses during the summer program in St. Petersburg, Russia. All readings and discussion in English. Offered only as part of summer program in St. Petersburg.

01:860:326   RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN SCIENCE FICTION (3)
Exploration of the 19th-21st-century tradition of Russian and East European science fiction in literature and film. Topics of discussion include the problem of utopia, new technologies and how they transform our understanding of the human, alien encounter narratives, and more.
No prerequisites; all readings and discussions in English.

01:860:329   THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GOGOL (3)
Study of fiction and comedies by Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), including The Government Inspector and Dead Souls. Focus on Gogol's idiosyncratic narrative techniques.
All readings and discussion in English.

01:860:330   DOSTOEVSKY (3)
Major works in historical, intellectual, and aesthetic contexts. Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, Notes from the Underground, and short works.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals AH o and AH p. Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:311.

01:860:331   TOLSTOY (3)
Study of Tolstoy's major novel Anna Karenina and his short fiction, drama, and excerpts from autobiographical writings.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals AH o, AH p and WC d.

01:860:332   RUSSIAN POETRY (3)
Reading, analysis, and discussion of 19th- and 20th-century poetry.
Prerequisite: 01:860:202 or 207 or 208; or permission of instructor. All readings in Russian.

01:860:335   LANDSCAPES OF THE MIND: COUNTRY AND CITY IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE AND ART (3)
Moscow and St. Petersburg; the Russian countryside versus the exotic sublime; the idyll versus the reality of peasant life; the city and modernism; utopia and antiurban impulse.
Credit not given for both this course and 01:082:356.

01:860:337   RUSSIAN AND SOVIET FILM (3)
Survey of 20th- and 21st-century Russian cinema.
No knowledge of Russian required.

01:860:338,339   ZIMMERLI MUSEUM INTERNSHIP IN RUSSIAN ART (3,3)
Research work related to Dodge and Riabov collections; assisting in development, coordination of special exhibitions, translation, and compiling artists' files.
Prerequisite: Permission of program director. Credit not given for both these courses and 01:082:359,360. Knowledge of Russian necessary.

01:860:340   NABOKOV (3)
Study of the literary and autobiographical works by the Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) in their historical, political, and cultural contexts.

01:860:345  SERIAL STORYTELLING ACROSS MEDIA (3)
Investigation of serial narrative as a modern mode of storytelling, from serialized novels in 19th-century Britain and Russian through the multimedia serials of our digital age. Exploration of this narrative form's enduring power, in multiple media, to interweave fiction with the course of current events and the rhythms of everyday life, and to bring together international audiences shaped by cultural, social, and geographical differences.
All readings and discussion in English. Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:345 or 01:359:347. Satisfies Core Curriculum goal WC r.

01:860:347   RUSSIAN THEATER (3)
Reading, analysis, and discussion of major Russian playwrights.

01:860:348  STORIES OF RUSSIAN LIFE: MEMORY, INVENTION, EXPERIENCE (3)
Examination of the ways Russian writers imagine and represent the self in autobiographical works of literature. Topics include relationships between personal experience and history; narrative techniques; genre distinctions; catastrophic experiences (Gulag, war).
All readings and discussion in English. Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:348. Satisfies Core Curriculm goals AH o, AH p, and WC d.

01:860:349   RUSSIA'S WARS ON PAGE AND SCREEN (3)
Interpretation of the Russian experience and memory of World War II through a study of films, short stories, novels, poetry, music, diaries, documentary, and journalistic accounts.
All readings and discussion in English. Satisfies Core Curriculum goals WC r and WC d.

01:860:433   PUSHKIN AND HIS AGE (3)
Historical examination of Russian literary scene during the period 1740 to 1841, in Russian.
Prerequisites: 01:860:301 and at least one 300-level course in Russian literature or permission of instructor. All readings in Russian.

01:860:435   GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE (3)
A study of gender and sexuality in Russian literature and culture in the framework of gender theory. Topics include: erotic utopias; gender, desire, and dystopia; sexuality and morality; same-sex love and cultural taboos; cross-dressing; gender stereotypes and their defiance.
Readings and discussions in English. Credit not given for both this course and 01:988:435.

01:860:484    RUSSIA AFTER STALIN: LITERAURE, HISTORY, THEORY (3)
Recent past of Russian culture and politics. Study of how the Stalinist past influenced late Soviet Russian culture, contributed to the collapse of the USSR, and shaped post-Soviet Russia through examination of powerful fiction texts and films that defined the post-Stalin era, from 1950s onward, as well as nonfiction and theoretical texts on Stalinism and its aftermath. Taught in English. Credit not given for this course and 01:510:484 or 01:195:484.

01:860:485   RUSSIA's RIVAL CAPITALS: MOSCOW AND ST. PETERSBURG (3)
Cultural heritage of Russia's rival capitals, with attention to the interactions between city and text. Topics include evolving cultural myths of St. Petersburg and Moscow; the city as a  place for negotiating national identity and history; representations across different genres and media; the city and the imaginary (urban phantasmagoria, dreams, terrors).

01:860:486   SEMINAR IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE (3)
Intensive reading and research in one specific aspect of Russian letters. Critical and analytical paper required.
Prerequisites: 01:860:301 and at least one 300-level course in Russian literature or permission of instructor.

01:860:487   SENIOR THESIS (3)
Extended research paper written in close consultation with an instructor.
Prerequisite: 01:860:486.

01:860:488   BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (3)
Intensive reading of Dostoevsky's last novel in the context of other classic writings on science, religion, and faith: Freud, Nietzsche, the Bible, Kierkegaard, and others.
All readings and discussion in English. Prerequisite: At least one 300-level course in Russian literature or permission of instructor.

01:860:493,494   INDEPENDENT STUDY: RUSSIAN (3,3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

01:860:496-497   HONORS IN RUSSIAN (3,3)
Preparation for research paper and oral examination under direction of a faculty adviser.
Prerequisite: Permission of honors committee. Both semesters must be completed to receive credit.
Continued study of specific areas of Russian grammar and orthography. Further development of reading, writing, oral skills, and vocabulary building of literary Russian through exposure to a wide variety of texts, media, and film.