In the Department of German and Russian.

Associate Professors Sheila McCarthy and Julie de Sherbinin; Teaching Assistant Alga Andreeva

The major emphasizes Russian language and literature as the foundation for study in other disciplines such as history and government in order that students develop a multidisciplinary understanding of Russia in the past and the present. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities on the campus, including guest lectures and seminars, discussion group meetings, films, weekly Russian table dinners, and live Russian television broadcasts.

Students majoring in Russian language and culture are expected to study in Russia for at least one semester. Instructors advise beginning students carefully about the variety of high-quality summer and semester programs available in many Russian institutions. The Colby in St. Petersburg Program offers students highly individualized study of language, literature, and history, in addition to the opportunity to teach English in a secondary school.

Requirements for the Major in Russian Language and Culture
(1) A minimum of seven courses (three or four credits) numbered above Russian 127 in the Department of German and Russian, including Russian 426 or 428, and at least one course each in 19th- and 20th-century literature (in English).

(2) History 227 and 228.

(3) A seminar in Russian literature (Russian 426, 428) or Russian history (when offered).

The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirements for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Requirements for the Minor in Russian Language and Literature
(1) Four introductory Russian language courses: Russian 125, 126, 127, 128.

(2) Two courses in Russian literature in translation: one course in 19th-century literature and one course in 20th-century literature, to be chosen from Russian 174, 177, 231, 232, or 238.

(3) One course in Russian literature in the original, chosen from Russian 325 or 326.

Russian majors and minors are strongly encouraged to broaden their study through related courses in other departments, particularly courses in the History Department, such as History 112, 227, 228, 447, and in the Government Department, such as Government 131, 151, 257, 258, 272, 332, 355, 432.

COURSE OFFERINGS

113j    The Literature and Art of St. Petersburg    A three-week intensive course in St. Petersburg, Russia. Students will read Pushkin, Dostoevsky, and other major St. Petersburg writers, study the imperial and revolutionary history of the city, and learn about the city's art and architecture in classroom lectures and museum visits. Students will also receive a brief introduction to the Russian language. The course includes theater and concert performances and residence with a Russian family. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Nongraded. Estimated cost: $2000; $500 deposit due by October 10th. Three credit hours.    INSTRUCTOR

114j    Russia's Transition Economy    RU114j Russia's Transition Economy. A three week intensive course in St. Petersburg, Russia. In daily class lectures and planned site visits, students will be introduced to the Soviet centralized economy and its evolution since the 1950's. Topics will include: militarization; industrialization; collectivization; economic stagnation; price liberalization; budgets and taxation; inflation and currency reforms; banks; investment; small businesses; export and import; the new Russian entrepreneur; stock markets; the bank crisis of August 1998; the oligarchs and "natural" monopolies. The course includes a cultural program and residence with a Russian family. Conducted in English. No knowledge of Russian required. Nongraded. Cost: $2000; $500 deposit due by October 10th. Three credit hours.    INSTRUCTOR

[123]    Introduction to Russian Culture    A survey of the major trends in Russian culture with the goal of better understanding the current social, economic, and political situation in the country. Readings in literature and cultural history focus on the influence of the Russian Orthodox religion, the Slavophile/Westernizer controversy, Soviet ideologies, collectivism vs. the individual, and village vs. urban life. Russian art, music, and film provide material for discussion. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Three credit hours.  D.    

125f, 126s    Elementary Russian I    The structure of the Russian language, spoken Russian, listening comprehension, and reading and writing of basic Russian. In addition to the textbook and language laboratory, Russian television will be used as an aid in understanding both the language and culture of Russia. Prerequisite: Russian 125 is prerequisite for 126. Four credit hours.    MCCARTHY, DE SHERBININ

125Jj    Elementary Russian I    The structure of the Russian language, spoken Russian, listening comprehension, and reading and writing of basic Russian. In addition to the textbook and language laboratory, Russian television will be used as an aid in understanding both the language and culture of Russia. Offered in St. Petersburg. Estimated cost: $2000; $500 deposit due by October 10th. Three credit hours.    INSTRUCTOR

127f, 128s    Intermediate Russian    Increased emphasis on reading and writing skills; continued use of Russian television and other audiovisual aids to improve oral and listening skills. Prerequisite: Russian 126; Russian 127 is prerequisite for 128. Four credit hours.    DE SHERBININ

174j    Chekhov and the Short Story Tradition    Study of the American and British short story as it was influenced by the Russian master of the short story, Anton Chekhov. Readings include Chekhov's early humorous stories and mature works, essays on the short story, and selected stories by Raymond Carver, Bernard Malamud, Katherine Mansfield, Alice Munro, Vladimir Nabokov, Joyce Carol Oates, Eudora Welty, Virginia Woolf, Richard Wright, and others. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Three credit hours.  L.    DE SHERBININ

177f    Russia's Greatest Writers    An introduction to some of the world's most influential authors: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and others. Discussion format; occasional lectures on Russian intellectual history; emphasis on improved writing and speaking skills. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Four credit hours.  L.    MCCARTHY

[231]    Topics in Russian Literature    Topics, which change every year, may cover an author, a work, a genre, or a theme central to Russian literature of the 19th century. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Three or four credit hours.  L.    

[232]    Topics in Russian Literature    The Russian novel is distinguished by its philosophical depth and highly innovative form. A wide range of novels from the 20th century will be discussed within their social, historical, political, and cultural contexts. Readings include Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, Gogol's Dead Souls, Turgenev's Fathers and Children, Dostoevsky's Devils, Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, and Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle. Conducted entirely in English. Four credit hours.  L.    

[237]    19th-Century Russian Literature    An introduction to some of the world's most influential authors--Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov--and study of selected works by Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, and Turgenev. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Russian required. Four credit hours.  L.    

238s    The Search for Utopia: 20th-Century Russian Literature    An examination of the socialist realists' vision of Utopia, including selected works of Gorky, Sholokhov, and others, in comparison to the prophecies of modernist writers, such as Bulgakov, Zamiatin, Olesha, Pasternak, and others. Careful attention to the writing process in a series of brief student essays. Conducted in English. Four credit hours.  L.    MCCARTHY

271f    Human Rights in World Literature    The notion of "human rights" arose in the 20th century in response to violations of horrific proportions all over the globe. Writers have frequently taken up their pens to preserve a record of human cruelty and endurance. Memoirs, poetry, short stories, and novels written by witnesses and victims of some of the 20th century's most repressive political systems will be studied in an exploration of how fiction facilitates survival, disseminates information, and insists upon remembrance. Four credit hours.  L, D.    DE SHERBININ

325f    Conversation and Composition    Grammar review and continued practice in oral and written expression. Reading and analysis of literary and historical texts from the 19th and 20th centuries. Original audiovisual taped materials supplement the readings. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 128. Four credit hours.    INSTRUCTOR

326fs    Conversation and Composition    Grammar review and continued practice in oral and written expression. Reading and analysis of literary and historical texts from the 19th and 20th centuries. Original audiovisual taped materials supplement the readings. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 325. Four credit hours.    MCCARTHY, DE SHERBININ

335f    Conversation Group    An informal weekly small-group meeting for conversation practice in Russian. Topics include autobiography, education, leisure time activities, travel, stores and purchases, film, TV, and newspaper excerpts for discussion. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Russian 127 or equivalent. One credit hour.    ANDREEVA

336s    Conversation Group    An informal weekly small-group meeting for conversation practice in Russian. Topics include autobiography, education, leisure time activities, travel, stores and purchases, film, TV, and newspaper excerpts for discussion. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Russian 127 or equivalent. One credit hour.    ANDREEVA

346s    20th-Century Russian Poetry    Weekly one-hour meetings focus on a poem by one of the major 20th-century Russian poets, including Blok, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Pasternak, Mandelshtam, and Brodsky. Readings in Russian; discussion and short papers in English. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Russian 127. One or two credit hours.    DE SHERBININ

[371]    Language and Culture    A three-week intensive course in St. Petersburg, Russia. Class sessions include phonetics, continuing work on selected grammar topics, and discussion of literary and historical readings. The course includes theater and concert evenings, tours of historical sites, and residence with a Russian family. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 127 or equivalent. Three credit hours.    

[425]    The Russian Short Story    Lectures, readings, and discussion of representative Russian short stories from the 19th and 20th centuries; weekly compositions in Russian, continued work in fine points of Russian grammar, audiovisual materials. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 326. Four credit hours.  L.    

[426]    The 19th-Century Russian Novel    A seminar that analyzes one major Russian novel of the 19th century, such as Tolstoy's Anna Karenina or Turgenev's Fathers and Children. Additional readings and discussions on the life and times of the author and the political, social, and historical context of the novel. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 425 or 427. Four credit hours.  L.    

[427]    Contemporary Russian Studies    Readings and discussion of representative contemporary Russian short stories and periodical literature; biweekly compositions in Russian. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 326. Four credit hours.    

[428]    The 20th-Century Russian Novel    A seminar that analyzes one major Russian novel of the 20th century, for example, Bulgakov's Master and Margarita or Pasternak's Dr. Zhivago. Additional readings and discussions on the life and times of the author and the political, social, and historical context of the novel. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 425 or 427. Four credit hours.  L.    

491f, 492s    Independent Study    Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours.    FACULTY