Russian (RUSS)

Chair: Professor DIANE M. NEMEC-IGNASHEV
Professor: DIANE M. NEMEC-IGNASHEV
Associate Professor: LAURA GOERING
Adjunct Instructor: ANNA MIKHAILOVNA DOTLIBOVA

Students considering language study outside the Western European offerings will find the Russian series a refreshing change. In our first-year sequence we cover the fundamentals with equal emphasis on: speaking, listening, writing, and reading, using materials that simultaneously illustrate the basics of Russian culture. In the first term we use folklore with Russian-designed animated computerized exercises. In the second and third terms we develop aural comprehension and pronunciation through folk and rock music video; vocabulary, speaking, and cultural competency are enhanced with slide-illustrated histories of Moscow and St. Petersburg. By the end of the third term students are able to read short prose by Chekhov, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, and to communicate functionally with native speakers. Beyond completion of the requirement (usually in Russian 204) the Russian section offers classes addressing contemporary Russian cultural and social issues while focusing on skill development at the intermediate level (205-206), and language maintenance courses at the advanced level (301). Students with pre-college Russian, either acquired or native, should consult the department for placement information.

Literature and Cultural Studies:

We teach a variety of courses in English translation which carry no language prerequisites (230-295). Courses at the 330-395 level, which are conducted entirely in Russian, aim to expand students’ linguistic range as well as their understanding of analytical techniques and cultural contexts. See individual listings below for prerequisites.

Requirements for a Major:

63 credits, including the following: Russian 205, 206 or 207; 12 credits of survey courses in English (Russian 240, 242, 244, 255); 18 credits numbered 330 or above, six of which will normally be Russian 395; and the integrative exercise. Up to six credits in Russian 301-308 can be counted toward the major. Remaining credits may be chosen in consultation with the advisor from: departmental offerings, study abroad, appropriate methodology courses, related field work, etc. Students are strongly advised to include Russian and Eurasian courses from other disciplines in their electives.

Study Abroad:

Participation in foreign study programs is highly recommended for students majoring or concentrating in the Russian field. For a description of the Carleton Moscow Program and information about the ACM Krasnodar Program, consult the section “Off-Campus Studies.” For more details about these and other options you should consult faculty in the Russian section. Departmental approval of credit for participation in overseas programs should be sought before leaving campus.

Russian Studies Concentration:

For information about the Russian Studies Interdisciplinary Concentration as well as courses in the field outside the department students should consult the separate alphabetical listing.

Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Foreign Language and Area Studies: Refer to section under Academic Regulations (see index)

Language Houses: Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language by living in the Language House. Each language house hosts a resident associate s/he is a native speaker, and students with the Resident Associate organize and participate in numerous cultural activities.

Russian Courses

101. Elementary Russian

For students with no previous training in or minimal knowledge of Russian. Simultaneous development of skills in speaking, reading, aural comprehension, writing. Students with prior instruction or who speak Russian at home should consult the department for placement information. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits, ND

Fall — Staff

102. Elementary Russian

Continues Russian 101. Prerequisite: Russian 101 or placement. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits, ND
Winter — Staff

103. Elementary Russian

Concludes introductory method of Russian 101-102. Prerequisite: Russian 102 or placement. Class meets five days a week. 6 credits, ND

Spring — Staff

107. Moscow Program: Grammar and Conversation

This course will focus on continued study of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, vocabulary expansion, and activation. This course is taught by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. Prerequisite: For students who have just recently begun their study of the Russian language, having completed or tested beyond elementary Russian 102. 6 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

108. Moscow Program: Phonetics

This course is taken in combination with Russian 107. Students focus on the essentials of Russian pronunciation with preliminary work in intonation. This course is taught by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

204. Intermediate Russian

Continued four-skill development using texts and resources from a variety of sources. Prerequisite: Russian 103 or placement. Class meets four days a week. 6 credits, ND

Fall — D. Nemec Ignashev

205. Russian in Cultural Contexts

In this course students will continue to develop skills of narration, listening comprehension, and writing, while exploring the issues of contemporary life and contemporary consciousness. These issues will be examined from the position of two cultures: American and Russian. In addition to language-acquisition texts aimed at vocabulary enhancement and activizing communicative skills we will rely on a variety of sources for reading and viewing, including the periodic press, film, and music. Prerequisite: Russian 204 or placement. 6 credits, ND

Winter — A. Dotlibova

206. Reading Russian

In this course students will develop skills and strategies for reading a variety of authentic texts. Including a full-length novel. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or consent of the instructor. 6 credits, AL

Spring — L. Goering

207. Moscow Program: Intermediate Conversation and Grammar

This course aims at vocabulary expansion and the assimilation and activation of formulaic conversational structures and speech etiquette at the same it develops familiarity with more complex principles Russian grammar. This course is taught by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or placement. 6 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

208. Moscow Program: Intermediate Phonetics

This course is taken in combination with Russian 207. Students focus on the essentials of Russian pronunciation and correction. Preliminary work in intonation will be offered. This course is taught by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

227. Moscow Program: Talents and Admirers—Russia’s Art and Its Patrons

This course is designed to combine Moscow’s rich theaters and museums with the classroom in looking at the interaction between art and money. Using Moscow’s theaters and museums as examples, we will survey the history of the performing and visual arts in Russia in their relationship to government and private funding. Particular attention will be paid to private sponsorship in the second half of the nineteenth century and its revival in the post-Soviet period, to Russia’s merchant classes as private sponsors, and to reflections of questions of sponsorship in works of art. Russian 227 will be conducted in English and carries no prerequisites. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

Courses numbered 220-270 are devoted to surveys and topics in translation. Usually, these courses do not carry prerequisites. In the past, courses in translation have included monograph studies Tolstoy and Dostoevsky as well as broader examinations of the canon-”Holy Fools, Idiots, and Dissidents,” “Soviet Satire,” and “Gender and the Russian Literary Canon.”

240. Flight of the Firebird: Peoples, Languages, and Legends of Eurasia

Refer to LCST 240 for description. 6 credits, AL, RAD

Not offered in 1999-2000.

242. Russian Literature in Translation: Short Prose

Not sure you’re ready for the Russian novel, yet? Russia’s best writers (including many women) also collaborated in a rich tradition of short prose. This course traces that tradition from Baba Yaga and the fairy tale to the “little heroes” of the nineteenth century, through the “isms” of revolution and the Soviet period, to the post-Soviet, post-perestroika postmodern. Lectures will provide context, discussion will focus on genre, style, and interpretation. No knowledge of Russian or Russian history is required. 6 credits, AL

Winter — D. Nemec Ignashev

244. Russian Literature in Translation: The Novel

A survey of representative works from the early nineteenth century to the present. Close textual analysis will be combined with discussion of the evolution of the genre in its historical and cultural context. Works by Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bulgakov and others. No prior knowledge of Russian or Russian history is required. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

255. Introduction to Russian Cinema

Cross-listed with MEDA 255. This course offers an historical overview of Russian cinema from its inception before the revolution of 1917, through the Soviet epoch, and into the era of independent Russia. We’ll focus on the history of the medium in its distinctly Russian context and the visual emblems of national culture, as well as on questions of national vs. international languages of cinema. No prior knowledge of Russian language or culture is required. All films will be subtitled. Format: 2 screenings per week, readings, discussion, short papers. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

266. Dostoevsky

An introduction to the works of Dostoevsky. Readings include Poor Folk, Notes from the Underground, and The Brothers Karamazov. Taught entirely in English. No prerequisites and no knowledge of Russian literature or history required. 3 credits, AL

Spring — L. Goering

267. War and Peace

Close reading and discussion of Tolstoy’s magnum opus. Taught entirely in English. No prerequisites and no knowledge of Russian literature or history required. 3 credits, AL

Spring — L. Goering

301. Language Skill Maintenance

Continued language practice and skill development, normally for mid-advanced students not currently enrolled in another 300-level Russian course. Weekly conversation-discussion meetings on assigned topics; course materials include current publications, film, video and music. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated according to need; six credits may be counted towards the Russian major. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or 206 or consent of the instructor. 2 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

307. Moscow Program: Advanced Conversation and Writing

This course combines advanced work in Russian grammar (largely corrective) and fundamentals in composition, with conversational Russian. Prerequisite: at least 6-12 credits beyond Russian 205-206. 6 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

308. Moscow Program: Advanced Phonetics and Intonation

This course is taken in combination with Russian 307. Students focus on corrective pronunciation and theory and practice of Russian intonation. This course is taught by members of Moscow State University Philological Faculty and supervised by the program director. 3 credits, ND

Not offered in 1999-2000.

327. Moscow Program: Talents and Admirers—Russia’s Art and Its Patrons

This course addresses the same issues as Russian 227, however, students registered at the 300-level will participate in discussions and complete all assignments in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 205. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

333. Russian Literature “For Children”

Many well-known Russian writers also wrote literature for children. Some sought new ways of educating; others sought refuge from the constraints of censorship. Some incorporated themes from folklore; others created new characters who became part of the literary culture shared by all Russians. This course will examine the evolution of Russian writing for children from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Works by Tolstoy, Chukovskii, Zoshchenko, Olesha, Kharms, Marshak and others. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or equivalent. 6 credits, AL

Fall — L. Goering

334. Russian Poetry

A survey or Russian poetry from the eighteenth century to the present, including an introduction to the terminology and techniques of poetic analysis. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

336. Pushkin

A study of the major poetry, drama and prose of Russia’s most important poet. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

344. “Is it Easy to be Young?”: Adolescents in Russian Culture

In this course we will investigate the existential experience, social and cultural difficulties young people face in Russia. Discussion will range broadly from generation conflicts through cruelty among teens to sexual maturation processes. The course will build on materials diverse as the Russian literary canon, particularly the works of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, and contemporary films by Tarkovskii, Bykov, Muratova. Prerequisite: Russian 205 or 206 or consent of the instructor. 6 credits, AL

Not offered in 1999-2000.

346. Methods of Teaching Modern World Language

Refer to EDUC 346 for description. 6 credits, ND

Winter — N. Krämer

395. Senior Seminar: The Cult of Stalin

Drawing on materials from film, literature, architecture, and mass culture, we will examine the cult of Iosif Stalin during “the Leader’s” lifetime and continuing into subsequent eras through both repudiation and periodic revivals. We will address the pagan and Christian foundations of the Stalin cult, as well as its connections with the cult of Lenin. Taught entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: at least 6 credits at the level of Russian 330 or higher or permission of the instructor. 6 credits, AL

Spring — A. Dotlibova

400. Integrative Exercise

6 credits, S/NC, ND

Winter, Spring — Staff

Catalog Front Page

Registrar's Front Page