Spring 2023

Course Code Title/Instructor Meets
RUSS 100-01 Russia and the West
Instructor: Elena Duzs
Course Description:
An introductory and multi-disciplinary survey intended to explore the relationship between Russian culture and Western civilization. In the process, students will be exposed to aspects of Russia's history, literature, religion, philosophical traditions, music and art, politics, and economics. Suitable for those interested in a one semester introduction to Russia, and required for those who choose a major or minor in Russian.
03:00 PM-04:15 PM, MR
BOSLER 314
RUSS 101-01 Elementary Russian
Instructor: Evgeniya Dudina
Course Description:
An intensive study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, with an emphasis on the development of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding skills. Short stories and songs will supplement the text.
08:30 AM-09:20 AM, MTWRF
BOSLER 222
RUSS 102-01 Elementary Russian
Instructor: Evgeniya Dudina
Course Description:
An intensive study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, with an emphasis on the development of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding skills. Short stories and songs will supplement the text.Prerequisite: 101 or the equivalent
09:30 AM-10:20 AM, MTWRF
BOSLER 222
RUSS 202-01 Intermediate Russian II
Instructor: Alyssa DeBlasio
Course Description:
Emphasis on the development of reading, speaking, and writing skills. Reading of simple texts to acquaint the student with a variety of styles of the Russian language, concentration on some of the more difficult problems in the Russian grammar, translation, written composition, vocabulary building, and intonation. Prerequisite: 201 or equivalent.
10:30 AM-11:20 AM, MTWRF
BOSLER 214
RUSS 232-01 Russian for Narration and Analysis
Instructor: Evgeniya Dudina
Course Description:
Reading and discussion of literary works by representative authors from the pre- and post-Revolutionary periods. Prerequisite: 202 or the equivalent.
10:30 AM-11:20 AM, MWF
BOSLER 222
RUSS 254-01 Revolution, War, and Daily Life in Modern Russia
Instructor: Karl Qualls
Course Description:
Cross-listed with HIST 254-01. This course explores Russia's attempts to forge modernity since the late 19th century. Students will explore the rise of socialism and communism, centralization of nearly all aspects of life (arts, politics, economics, and even sexual relations), and opposition to the terror regime's attempts to remake life and the post-Soviet state's attempts to overcome Russia's past.This course is cross-listed as HIST 254.
11:30 AM-12:20 PM, MWF
DENNY 203
RUSS 270-01 Philosophy and Literature
Instructor: Alyssa DeBlasio, Marc Mastrangelo
Course Description:
Cross-listed with CLST 200-01 and PHIL 270-01. The characters of Sophocles and Dostoevsky lie, steal, scheme, and murder. What is it about these authors depictions of their characters lying, cheating, and murdering ways that makes their writing not just literary but philosophical? And what is it about philosophical works like Nietzsches that makes them literary? More generally, does literature shape its audiences ethical education, emotional health, and ability to discern truth from falsity? Where do the overlapping realms of literature and philosophy begin and end? This course investigates the intersections of philosophy and literature across various cultural contexts, historical periods, and schools of thought, with an emphasis on ancient Greek and Russian literature; authors include Fyodor Dostoevsky, Sophocles, Euripides, Ralph Ellison, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, Leo Tolstoy, and contemporary philosophers (Murdoch, Rorty, Scanlan, etc.). We will look at how arguments transform and are transposed from one style of writing to another, thereby raising the contentious question of whether philosophy can achieve things that literature cannot, and vice versa. We will also ask ourselves fundamental questions about the role of literature in the 21st century: why should we care about fictional stories, how and why are we moved by great writing, and what role (if any) does literature play in moral imagination? Dostoevsky's characters lie, steal, scheme, and murder. What is it about Dostoevsky's depictions of their lying, cheating ways that makes his novels not just literary but philosophical? And what is it about philosophical works like Kierkegaard's and Nietzsche's that makes them literary? More generally, where do the overlapping realms of literature and philosophy begin and end? This course investigates the intersections of philosophy and literature across different schools of thought, paying special attention to the work of Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Leibniz, Plato, Tolstoy, Voltaire, and others. We will pair the treatment of philosophical issues in fiction with their treatment in more traditional philosophical genres, thereby raising and discussing the contentious question of whether philosophy can achieve things that literature cannot, and vice versa. Offered every two years. This course is cross-listed as PHIL 270.
01:30 PM-02:45 PM, TF
EASTC 411
RUSS 360-01 Performing in Russian
Instructor: Elena Duzs
Course Description:
A thorough study, staging and public performance of a major play in the Russian language. This course carries 1.0 credit. Prerequisite: Russian major or instructor's permission.
01:30 PM-04:29 PM, W
BOSLER 314
RUSS 500-01 Russian and Soviet Volcanology
Instructor: Alyssa DeBlasio
Course Description: