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In “Russia & the West” we will examine the vast sweep of Russian history and culture through the lens of the country’s efforts to define itself vis-à-vis the West, starting by interrogating the very notion of “the West” and the identity of “the Russians.” We will learn about Peter the Great’s Westernizing reforms, 19th-century Slavophilism vs. Westernism, Cold War tensions, émigré culture, and today’s persistent sense of humiliation at the hands of the West still resonating after the fall of the USSR.

Elementary Russian serves as an introduction to speaking, understanding, reading, and writing contemporary standard Russian. In this course, students will learn to read and write using the Cyrillic alphabet and will develop familiarity with Russian phonetics, elementary Russian grammar, and a working vocabulary. Students will also be introduced to Russian culture, history and traditions through authentic target-language texts, websites and other media.

This course is entirely devoted to Tolstoy’s masterpiece, War & Peace, alongside selected critical and theoretical readings. We consider everything from genre and historiography to the text’s surprising relevance in our current era of global upheaval and populism. After immersing yourself in War & Peace, you will find that it stays with you throughout your life. No small promise, but War & Peace delivers.