This course examines cultural and political developments from 1991 to the present across the 15 independent nations of the former USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. The course investigates the formation of new governments and national identities as well as issues of human rights and ethnic conflict. It also explores literature and nonfiction after the fall of Communism, as ordinary citizens faced the uncertainties of the post-Soviet world—a world with free markets and new freedoms but also economic collapse and regional warfare. Key issues include: how democracy has flourished or faltered in different nations; how writers represent their respective societies during times of rapid change; how minorities groups have adjusted to new norms of ethnicity, gender, class, and sexual orientation; and how different nations remember the legacy of the Soviet Union.
The history of Russian culture from the early stages of Slavic civilization to the contemporary post-Soviet Russian Federation. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the arts, especially literature, as a reflection of philosophical, political, and cultural change. No knowledge of Russian is required. Meets Gen Ed - Global Cultural Perspectives. Mutually Exclusive with HUMN 193.
Russian novels and prose fiction from the 19th century to the present day. Representative works include world famous novels and novellas by Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Nabokov, and Bulgakov. Students learn strategies for reading prose fiction, including close reading and genre analysis. Students also explore great themes of Love, Death, social justice, and the meaning of life. No knowledge of Russian is required. Taught in English. Meets Gen Ed - Great Works and Their Influences. Mutually Exclusive with HUMN 194.
Selected topics related to Russian Culture and Civilization. Topic announced each semester. Taught in English. May be repeated twice for a maximum of nine credits. (If the topic is different.)
This course will examine the roles, status, identity and problems of female characters in representative works of Russian literature from the medieval period to the present. It will trace the development of mythic images about "Mother Russia," study the cultural messages of classic nineteenth century Russian heroines and explore adaptations in the traditional appreciation of Russian women in the early Soviet period as well as contemporary works. Meets World Cultures Requirement.