Introduction to Russian grammar through oral, written, and reading exercises; special emphasis on oral expression. Four periods.

Survey of Russian fiction from the Age of Pushkin (1820s-1830s) to Tolstoy's mature work (1870s) focusing on the role of fiction in Russian history, contemporaneous critical reaction, literary movements in Russia, and echoes of Russian literary masterpieces in the other arts, especially film and music. Major works by Pushkin (Eugene Onegin, "The Queen of Spades"), Lermontov (A Hero of Our Time), Gogol (Dead Souls), Pavlova (A Double Life), Turgenev (Fathers and Children), Tolstoy (Anna Karenina), and Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment) will be read.

Students will become experts in one of the great overarching themes of Russian culture: St. Petersburg. We will read and discuss texts, view films, listen to music, and compose essays on the theme of Russia's second capital. The course includes study of grammar, vocabulary expansion with strong emphasis on oral proficiency and comprehension. At the end of the semester, each student will write a final paper and present to the class her own special research interest within the general investigation of St. Petersburg's history, traditions, culture, and art.

Continued studies in Russian grammar through oral, written, and reading exercises; special emphasis on oral expression. Four periods.

Vladimir Lenin characterized film as “the most important of the arts” for the fledgling Soviet state. Film has played a crucial role in documenting and shaping Russia's Soviet and post-Soviet experience. This course will begin by exploring early Soviet masters of montage (Vertov, Eisenstein, and Pudovkin) and the impact of their revolutionary ideas on world cinema. We will study visionaries of the long take (Tarkovsky, Parajanov, and Sokurov) who later enchanted audiences with a more meditative cinematic sensibility. Along the way, we will consider masterpieces by such filmmakers as the brothers Vasiliev, Kalatozov, Khutsiev, Sheptiko, Mamin, Mikhalkov, Muratova, German, and Zviagintsev. Students will deepen their knowledge of Russian history, from the October Revolution to modern-day Russia, and develop a foundation in film theory and analysis.

Students will enter the world of Russian children's folklore, literature, songs, film, and animation. From lullabies to folktales, from Pushkin's skazki, animal fables by Krylov, didactic stories by Tolstoy, we will move on to examine the contributions of Soviet authors from the early 1920s to the present (V. Maiakovsky, K. Chukovsky, S.Marshak, D. Kharms, M. Zoshchenko, A. Gaidar, N. Nosov, E. Uspensky, G. Oster) and their effect on the aesthetic development and ethical upbringing of children in Russia. The course emphasizes oral proficiency, extensive reading, and weekly writing assignments. Students will create and present a final project on their own special research interest.