Class Schedules

Continuation of RUSS 101; further development of the same skills. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 101 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Continuation of RUSS 101; further development of the same skills. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 101 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Continuation of RUSS 101; further development of the same skills. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 101 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Continuation of RUSS 203; further development of the same skills; added emphasis on reading and discussing simple texts. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. Students are usually prepared for study in Russia after they have completed Intermediate Russian II. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 203 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Continuation of RUSS 203; further development of the same skills; added emphasis on reading and discussing simple texts. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. Students are usually prepared for study in Russia after they have completed Intermediate Russian II. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 203 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

Continuation of RUSS 203; further development of the same skills; added emphasis on reading and discussing simple texts. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. Students are usually prepared for study in Russia after they have completed Intermediate Russian II. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 203 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

A survey of the development of Russian social and political institutions from Peter the Great (1682-1724) to 1917. The course will explain the growth of the tsar's authority, the origins and outlooks of Russia's major social/gender groups (nobility, peasants, merchants, clergy, women, minorities, Cossacks) and the relations which grew up between the tsar and his society. The course will conclude with an appraisal of the breakdown of the relationship in 1917, and the tsarist legacy for Russia's social and political institutions in the Soviet Union and beyond. Can count towards History's "Europe" and "pre-1800" and "Race/Indigeneity" and "Colonization/Empire" fields.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

From the first glance at a digital clock in the morning to putting events in a Google calendar, humans interact with the concept of time on a daily basis. We are so accustomed to living within familiar temporal frameworks that we rarely notice how our lives are governed by “time.” But a universally agreed upon standard for “time” has not always existed and, indeed, has shifted across human history. How and why was time invented? How has time in its various forms been constructed over the course of the past several centuries in different parts of the world? How is power inscribed in our conception of time? How are conceptualizations of temporal universality (and even physicists' theories of relativity) bound up with global trade and even something as prosaic as shipping timetables?In this course, we will discuss why humans need “time” and how culturally specific definitions of "time" have impacted global history. While we will criss-cross millenia of temporal imaginaries, our emphasis will be upon "modern times" starting with the first globalization of the 16th century. We will trace 'time' history through the present, both within the establishment of colonial and industrial manipulations of temporality as well as the coeval persistence of alternative temporalities as activations of political, cultural, and epistemic resistance.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

Students in this course will learn about the challenges faced by immigrants navigating the world of work in the U.S, and about how people use storytelling about work to create meaning in their lives. Working in partnership with the International Institute of Minnesota, an organization based in St. Paul that prepares recently arrived immigrants and refugees for the workplace, students will interview local émigrés from different parts of the world about the first jobs that they had in the U.S., and will create a video based on these conversations. Our goal will be to preserve and share these stories in order to encourage public engagement with issues of immigration, labor, and economic justice, and to foster understanding of and compassion for the members of the diverse immigrant communities in the Twin Cities. Another aim of this course will be to help students think through their own ideas about work and potential career paths as they engage with community members who have grappled with these issues. Each week in class we will discuss shared readings, which will include literary texts, media articles, and scholarship, and will work together to advance our project. No prior experience or knowledge are required.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
U.S. Identities and Differences

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

The end of the Cold War in 1989 marked the beginning of a new era for the former communist countries, bringing about great changes in the art world. The profound political, social, economic, and cultural transformations that took place in Russia and Eastern Europe also had a significant impact on the artistic climate in China and Cuba. As the cultural imperatives of the communist state became radically redefined, the function of a work of art shifted from a conduit of propaganda to a vehicle for social change and political contestation. The course will also examine the motives of thinkers and leaders important for the spread of communism, including Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Che Guevara, and Mao. The course interrogates binaries of race and gender; democracy/authoritarianism; religion/secularism, and liberalism/conservatism— issues that are at the heart of current political debates worldwide. Students will have access to art and important materials presented in the Experimental Art in Eastern Europe exhibition at the Walker Art Center.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course builds upon the language skills acquired in RUSS 204 by solidifying confidence in speaking and conversing, deepening student vocabulary and reading skills through authentic readings from a variety of genres, strengthening listening skills through exposure to film and other media, and introducing students to higher-level essay writing. A primary goal of the course is to facilitate the achievement of advanced proficiency while interacting with Russian speakers. The focus of the course in Spring 2024 will be on a group project that connects students with the Twin Cities Russian-speaking community. This year, Russian Studies majors will be able to count RUSS 305 toward their capstone requirement.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course examines the relationship between cultural and political change during three very different revolutions: France 1789, Russia 1917, Iran 1979. How do people change when governments are overturned? How do revolutions shape popular consciousness? Do people understand events as revolutionaries intend? To answer these questions, we will examine symbols and political ideologies, mass media, education, social identities, the culture of violence, popular participation and resistance, and other issues. Readings will include revolution-inspiring works of Voltaire and Rousseau, Marx and Lenin, Khomeini on Islamic rule. We will read sympathetic and antagonistic contemporary accounts, and look at popular culture to see how events were understood. Fashion and etiquette, comics and caricatures, movies and plays will be used.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

A structured introduction to the basics of the Russian sound system and grammar, as well as speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Some exposure to Russian culture. For beginning students. No prerequisites. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

A structured introduction to the basics of the Russian sound system and grammar, as well as speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Some exposure to Russian culture. For beginning students. No prerequisites. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

A structured introduction to the basics of the Russian sound system and grammar, as well as speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Some exposure to Russian culture. For beginning students. No prerequisites. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

In the second year of Russian, students learn to operate in basic social and cultural environments. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 102 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

In the second year of Russian, students learn to operate in basic social and cultural environments. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 102 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

In the second year of Russian, students learn to operate in basic social and cultural environments. Conversational skills needed on the telephone, public transport and other daily situations, listening and reading skills such as television, newspapers, and movies, and various modes of writing are studied. Russian language classes aim at perfecting all four linguistic skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Intermediate and advanced courses are taught in Russian as much as possible. This course meets three times per week with two additional weekly sessions (labs) devoted specifically to oral proficiency. These conversation sessions are taught by Russian native speakers. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 102 with a grade of C- or better, or consent of the instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

A survey of Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet history from the Russian Revolution to the present. Topics include the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, Bolshevik rule and its tsarist heritage, Soviet "monocratic" society under Lenin and Stalin, dissent in the USSR, the "command economy" in the collapse of Communist political power, and national consciousness as an operative idea in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Can count toward History's "Europe" and "post-1800" and "Colonization/Empire" fields.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

The USSR's 1991 dissolution ended one of history's great experiments. Socialism sought to dissolve ethnicity and overcome ethnic conflict with a focus on equality. Instead it exacerbated nationalism and created-separated identities. But how? Topics include ethno-creation, control, and resistance; ethnic animosities and the USSR's destruction; new states after 1991; "diaspora" populations beyond ethnic homelands; local rebellions; new "native" dictatorships; and recent international organizations. .

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course examines the relationship between empire and environment in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union from the 18th to the 20th century. How did imperial expansion and socialist projects transform the livelihoods and landscapes of Northern Eurasia? Using primary and secondary sources, we will explore this question and consider how both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union enacted policies that sought to tame and protect the environment of Northern Eurasia. Among the topics that we will discuss are the conquest of Siberia and the Far East; fur trade, hunting, and animal extinction; the Arctic environment; agricultural landscapes, famines, and food resources; the Virgin Land Campaign; Soviet industrialization; the exploitation of labor and nature in the Gulag; nuclear landscapes; environmental disasters and mysteries (Chornobyl, the Aral Sea, and the Tunguska meteorite).

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

'Us vs. Them: the Cold War and its Culture' explores the politics, cultural exchanges, and ideological battles that defined the Cold War era, 1945-1991. Perspectives on the decades-long standoff will include not only the superpowers in the East and the West but also the socialist bloc of nations and the peoples and states shaking off the chains of colonialism.Discover how the intense rivalry and the specter of nuclear annihilation shaped global politics, economics, and societies, from the space race and the arms race to proxy wars fought on foreign soils. This course delves into the fears, strategies, and motivations that drove the actions of the United States, the Soviet Union, their allies, and the newly independent nations, providing a nuanced understanding of their interrelations.However, the Cold War's legacy is not solely one of political and military maneuvers; it also sparked significant cultural exchanges that influenced music, literature, film, and art, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary culture. During this period, culture became a frontier for competing ideologies, and it shaped how individuals and communities across different political and ideological spectrums navigated this complex era of suspicion and cooperation.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is designed to solidify confidence in speaking and conversing, deepen student vocabulary and reading skills through authentic readings, and strengthen listening and writing skills. A primary goal of the course is to facilitate the achievement of advanced proficiency while interacting with Russian speakers. The focus of the course in Fall 2024 will be on a group project that connects students with the Twin Cities Russian-speaking community. This year, Russian Studies majors will be able to count RUSS 305 toward their capstone requirement. Prerequisite: RUSS 204 or permission of instructor.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials