Russian and Eurasian Studies
www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/russianeurasianstudies/
Advisors — Professors KOLARIK, SHOWALTER; Associate Professors GOULD, PAVLENKO, SCHEINER
Russian and Eurasian studies (RES) is an interdisciplinary program affiliated with the departments of history, political science, and German/Russian/East Asian languages. The focus of this program is the region that stretches from Central and Eastern Europe through the breadth of Russia and Central Asia into northeastern Eurasia. We study the histories, languages, politics, economies, and cultures of a significant part of the world long obscured by the intellectual and methodological tensions of the Cold War. The program provides a background for careers in law, teaching, public and foreign service, international business, and the domestic and international non-profit sector. It also prepares students for graduate training in area studies and language instruction. RES sponsors a variety of activities such as a speaker series, films, and other cultural events associated with the Russian language house. For more complete descriptions of the courses noted below, please refer to the catalog entries for the appropriate departments.
THE MAJOR — REQUIREMENTS:
To fulfill the program major, students must complete a total of 12 units:
- Four units in a relevant language and 2 units in literature;
- Three units in related courses in the social sciences division (at least one of these courses must be in the area history);
- Two units in related courses in any division;
- RS400 or PS tutorial (PS410; PS412; PS470);
- All majors are strongly encouraged to take relevant courses in other disciplines beyond the immediate requirements of the program.
THE MINOR — REQUIREMENTS:
To fulfill the program minor, students must complete 6 units as follows:
- Two units of relevant language; One unit in area history;
- Three units in related courses in any division.
Russian and Eurasian Studies Courses
200 Topics in Russian and Eurasian Studies:
Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures requirement.
1 unit —
308 Comparative Politics: Russia
(Not offered 2012-13).
1 unit
400 Advanced Seminar in Russian and Eurasian Studies
This course is required of all majors, and will result in the completion of an extended essay or independent research project, based on a significant body of original research and/or the student's internship experience in the region. Students will present this essay at an annual faculty-student seminar.
1 unit —
Russian Courses
101 Elementary Russian
Introduction to Russian life and culture through the study of language. This course focuses on the development of functional socio-cultural competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing. No prerequisite.
1 unit —
102 Elementary Russian
(Not offered 2012-13).
1 unit
103 Elementary Russian Skill Maintenance
Review and maintenance of existing skills through readings and conversation until the student is able to progress to Russian 201.
Prerequisite: Russian 101.
.25 unit —
104 Elementary Russian Skill Maintenance
Review and maintenance of existing skills through readings and conversation until the student is able to progress to Russian 201.
Prerequisite: Russian 101.
.25 unit —
201 Intermediate Russian I: Language through Film I
Focus on development of four communicative skills (speaking, aural comprehension, reading comprehension, writing) through interactive activities and integrated use of popular Russian films. (Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.) (This course is also offered during the CC program in Russia.) Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement. Meets the Critical Perspectives: Global Cultures requirement.
Prerequisite: Russian 101 or consent of instructor.
1 unit —
202 Intermediate Russian II: Language through Film
Emphasis on active control of basic grammatical structures, readings, short essays, and discussions based on popular Russian films. (Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.) (This course is also offered during the CC program in Russia.) Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement.
Prerequisite: Russian 201 or consent of instructor.
1 unit —
205 Intermediate Russian Skill Maintenance
For students between 201 and 202 or 305.
Prerequisite: Russian 201.
.25 unit —
206 Intermediate Russian Skill Maintenance
For students between 201 and 202 or 305.
Prerequisite: Russian 201.
.25 unit —
255 Survey of Russian Literature I
Survey of selected texts representing the periods of Russian literary tradition preceding the Age of the Novel: from the ecclesiastic texts of the Kievan era, through the baroque (first biographies, rise of the secular tale), the Russian Enlightenment (emergence of satire), to Russian Romanticism and the beginning of Realism (Pushkin, Lermontov, and Gogol).(Taught in English). Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement. (Not offered 2012-13).
1 unit
256 Survey of Russian Literature II
This sequel to RU255 focuses on Realism, Modernism, Socialist Realism, and Postmodernism in Russian literature; it serves as an introduction to Russian major writers from the second half of the 19th century to the present: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Solzhenitsyn, Tolstaya and others. (Taught in English.) Meets the Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirement. (Not offered 2012-13).
1 unit
305 Advanced Russian Language I
Intensive practice in oral self-expression and comprehension based on literary and audio-visual sources of modern standard Russian. (Taught in Russia.)
Prerequisite: Russian 202.
1 unit —
306 Advanced Russian Language II
Continued work toward proficiency in spoken and written modern standard Russian. (Taught in Russia.)
Prerequisite: Russian 305.
1 unit —
307 Advanced Russian Skill Maintenance
Review and maintenance of the existing skills in conversation, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. (Not offered 2012-13).
Prerequisite: Russian 305 or consent of instructor.
.25 unit
308 Advanced Russian Skill Maintenance
Review and maintenance of the existing skills in conversation, listening comprehension, reading, and writing.
Prerequisite: Russian 305 or consent of instructor.
.25 unit —
311 Independent Study:
For students wishing to read literature not covered by courses they have taken or to bridge scheduling difficulties.
Prerequisite: Russian 306 & consent of instructor.
1 unit —
312 Independent Study:
For students wishing to read literature or to enhance their individual skills in Russian. (May be taken as one block or half-block or as an extended format course for one semester each, i. e., 311, 312.)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor & Russian 306.
.5 unit —
350 Tolstoy in Translation
Readings of selected fictional and nonfictional works. Close analysis of texts and study of Russian and European background of Tolstoy's works. (Taught in English.)
.5 unit —
351 Dostoevsky in Translation
Readings in the various forms of psychological narrative explored by Dostoevsky with emphasis on close study of his major works in their Russian and European contexts. (Taught in English.) No prerequisite.
1 unit —