Chair: L.V. Loseff
Professors L. A. Grenoble, J. M. Kopper, L. V. Loseff, B. P. Scherr; Associate Professor D. A. Garretson; Assistant Professor M. Gronas; Lecturers J. Nazyrova, V. V. Sevastianova.
MAJORS
Two types of major are available to students. Both require Russian 15 and Russian 31, which can be omitted only by vote of the entire Department.
1. The Major in Russian
Prerequisite: Russian 27.
Requirements: Russian 15; Russian 28 and 29; Russian 31 and 32; and a course which constitutes the culminating experience. (Russian 71, 86, or 87, the Honors Thesis, all may serve as the culminating experience in the Russian major.) In addition to these six core courses, students are required to take four more courses in Russian. Eligible courses may include Russian 23 and up to two courses numbered in the teens; the remaining courses must be numbered 35 or higher.
Note: Students may receive a certificate in Russian Area Studies by (1) completing all the requirements for the major in Russian and (2) taking four courses from among those offerings in other departments that may normally be used to satisfy the requirements for the Russian Area Studies Major (see the following paragraph). Such students will have both the major in Russian and the certificate in Russian Area Studies listed on their transcripts.
2. The Major in Russian Area Studies
Prerequisite: Russian 3
Requirements: Russian 31, five area studies courses, and an additional three courses numbered Russian 23 or higher. Regular courses which meet the area course requirement include Economics 29 and 49; Government 42 and 52; and History 54, 55, and 56. Up to three Russian courses in the teens (Russian 11-19) may be counted as area courses for the Russian Area Studies major. In addition, offerings of such courses as Government 84, History 96, and Music 8, when dealing with relevant topics, may be counted. Other courses used to satisfy this requirement must be approved in advance by the Chair of the Department. For the culminating experience, students must write a thesis, take Russian 86, or take a Russian-related course that satisfies the requirement of a culminating experience in another department.
MINORS
1. The Minor in Russian
Prerequisite: Russian 3, or permission of the chair.
Minor courses: a total of six courses including
(a) Russian 31.
(b) one or two of the following courses: Russian 11-19.
(c) up to four other Russian courses numbered 23 or higher, for a total of six courses beyond the prerequisite.
(d) Students may count only one of the LSA+ courses toward the minor.
2. The Minor in Russian Area studies
Prerequisite: One of the following courses: Russian 13, 15, 19, or 21.
Requirements: a total of six courses including Russian 31; and five courses chosen from the following: Russian 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 32, 35, 36, 38, 62, or 71 of which three should be numbered 32 and higher and exclusive of the course selected as a prerequisite. Not more than two LSA+ courses could be counted for fulfillment of the prerequisite and requirements. Up to two Russian area studies courses, including Economics 29 and 49, Government 52, and History 54, 55, and 56 or offerings of such courses as Government 84, History 96, and Music 8, when dealing with relevant topics, may be counted towards completion of this minor. Other courses used to satisfy this requirement must be approved in advance by the Chair of the Department.
HONORS PROGRAM
Seniors who give evidence of outstanding ability and who wish to pursue serious research on an independent project are invited to apply for honors work. Students must satisfy the minimum College requirement (see pages XXX) and must also meet two departmental requirements. First, they must have a grade average of 3.3 for all courses taken within the major. Second, they must have received at least an A- in an advanced course that emphasizes research and analysis, such as Russian 62 or 71.
Area studies majors may satisfy this second requirement with one of these courses, or, if the topic of the thesis is outside the area of language and literature, with a course from the academic area in which they intend to do research. Application is normally made by the third week of the fall term, with Russian 85 taken in the fall and Russian 87 in the winter. The thesis must be submitted no later than the third week of spring term. More information is contained in an announcement sent to current majors each year. It is available from the administrative assistant of the Department.
TERM ABROAD
Dartmouth Advanced Language Study Program (LSA+) in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Prerequisite: Russian 1, 2, 3, or the equivalent, with a grade of no lower than B- in Russian 3.
It is recommended that students take one or more of the following courses: Russian 11, 13, 15, 19, 31 or History 54.
The Dartmouth Russian LSA+ Program is conducted during the summer at St. Petersburg University in Russia. The program includes regular classes at the university as well as organized trips to areas of cultural and historical interest. Applications for the program are due in January for that summer. Those accepted for the program will sign up for Russian 21, 22, and 23. Successful completion of the St. Petersburg Program will serve in satisfaction of the Summer Residence Requirement (even when taken in the summer following the first year or third year).
1, 2, 3. Introductory Russian
1. 04F, 05F: 9L, 12
2. 05W: 1206W: 9L
3. 05S, 06S: 9L
An introduction to Russian as a spoken and written language. None of these serves in partial satisfaction of the Distributive or World Culture Requirements. Gronas, Garretson.
7. First-Year Seminar in Russian
Consult special listings
11. Russian Popular Culture.
Not offered in the period from 04F through 05S
13. Slavic Folklore: Vampires, Witches and Firebirds
04F, 05S, 05F, 06S: 10
This course explores the world of Slavic folklore and legends. Through an analysis of fairytales and other folk texts we will examine the nature and forms of oral tradition in its social context. Topics will include the relationship of myth to folk literature as well as the distinguishing traits of the folk genres most prevalent in the Slavic countries. The themes will be related to the contemporary world wherever possible, examining what happens when traditional cultures and beliefs conflict with modern views. The course is based on materials in Russian and East European cultures, but also draws from other traditions.
Our primary readings will include a selection of fairytales, folksongs and ritual practices of folk beliefs, medicine, incantations and divinations. Backgroundworks include such books as Russian Folk Belief by Linda Ivanits, The Morphology of the Folk Tale by Vladimir Propp, and The Uses of Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim. We will also examine other media, including film, music (both folk music and more contemporary pieces, including Stravinsky’s The Firebird) and art.
Open to all classes. Dist: INT or LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Gronas, Sevastianova.
14. Faces of Totalitarianism: A History of a Nation through a History of a Medium (Identical to Film Studies 42)
Not offered in the period from 04F through 06S
15. Introduction to Russian Civilization
05W: 2 06W: 11
An examination of Russia as a cultural, national, and historical entity part of and yet apart from both Europe and Asia. Russia is a continental power of vast proportions whose traditions, character, national myths, and forms of political organization often seem a mirror- image to those of the United States. After a brief survey of Russian history, the course will examine certain determinants of Russian culture, including Christianity, multinationalism, and the status of Russian civilization on the periphery of Europe. The course will then deal with the art, music, and popular literature of Russia, and conclude by examining certain contemporary issues, including the complex coexistence of Russian and Soviet culture.
Open to all classes. Class of 2007 and earlier: Dist: PHR; WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Sevastianova.
19. Understanding the Russians: The Role of Language and Culture in Communication
Not offered in the period from 04F through 05S
21. Russian Civilization: Study Abroad
04X: D.L.S.A.+
This course, taught by the faculty member directing the program, will vary in topic from year to year, depending on the specialty of the faculty member. Credit for this course is awarded to students who have successfully completed the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Russia.
Prerequisite: membership in the L.S.A. Program. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W.
22. The Russian Language: Study Abroad
04X: D.L.S.A.+
This course represents the course in grammar and the other written work done by the students at the University of St. Petersburg. Credit for this course is awarded to students who have successfully completed the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Russia.
Prerequisite: membership in the Foreign Study Program. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W.
23. The Russian Language: Study Abroad
04X: D.L.S.A.+
This course represents the work done in the phonetics classes and in the conversation classes at the University of St. Petersburg. Credit for this course is awarded to students who have successfully completed the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Russia.
Prerequisite: membership in the L.S.A. Program. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W.
27. Intermediate Russian I
04F, 05F: 9L
A continuation of the 1-2-3 cycle, this course is the first of the intermediate language courses offered by the Department. The course prepares the student for further upper-level study of the language. It includes intensive review, introduction to new grammatical topics, as well as reading, composition and conversation.
Prerequisite: Russian 3 or equivalent. Nazyrova.
28, 29. Intermediate Russian II and III
28. 05W, 06W: 9L
29. 05S, 06S: 12
This sequence completes the cycles of second-year Russian. Special emphasis is placed on such difficult areas as participles, aspects and verbs of motion. The course includes extensive reading, video work and vocabulary building.
Prerequisite: Russian 23 or Russian 27, or permission. Nazyrova.
31. Russian Literature of the Golden Age in Translation
05S, 06S: 2A
Nineteenth-century Russian prose culminated in the masterpieces of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov. Through works such as Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment and The Cherry Orchard, these writers expanded the boundaries of the genres in which they worked, even as they exposed the acute social problems of their time. Their work is distinguished not only by the sharpness of the character analysis but also by the compassion with which the analysis is conducted. This course examines the process by which this literature acquired its unique configuration.
Taught in English.[1] Open to all classes. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Loseff.
32. Modern Russian Literature in Translation
05W, 06W: 3A
This course examines the impact which the turbulent history of twentieth-century Russia had on literature and on writers struggling to defend their integrity. The century began with Russian Modernism, out of which came experimental masterpieces in all the arts. This movement was terminated in 1930 by Stalin, who imposed harsh controls under the aegis of Socialist Realism, which dominated the arts until Stalin’s death in 1953. Since then, Russian writers have gradually liberated themselves from the demands of the censors to produce a literature as articulate and exciting as the great novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Readings include such novels as Zamyatin’s We, Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago and Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and literary artifacts of the contemporary counterculture (such as cyberpunk novels and rock-n- roll poetry).
Taught in English.** Open to all classes. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Gronas.
35. Dostoevsky and the Problem of Evil
04F 05F: 2A
Dostoevsky laid bare the tragedy of human existence and probed the innermost recesses of the human psyche to show the terrifying isolation of a human being separated from God. Revolted by a world in which innocent children suffer, Dostoevsky tested the meaning to be found in Christianity, personal responsibility and human solidarity. This course examines his major novels, with particular emphasis on the artistic expression of his philosophical views. Those views will be examined in the context of Russian intellectual and literary history. Readings include Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov.
Taught in English.** Open to all classes. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Kopper.
36. Tolstoy and the Problem of Death
05X: 2A
From childhood to the end of his life, Tolstoy struggled to overcome his fear of death. As he himself put the problem, ‘Is there any meaning in my life which the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?’ In his quest for bulwarks against that fear, he studied the great philosophers and he examined closely the value system of the peasants. He found temporary relief in war and in marriage, but the definitive solution always eluded him. The evolution of this theme, and the formal devices by which Tolstoy expressed it in his prose, will be traced in the autobiographical cycle, the Caucasian stories and the Sevastopol tales. Those works will serve as a context in which to scrutinize the major novels, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. The course will conclude with a brief examination of the prose that Tolstoy produced after his conversion.
Taught in English. Open to all classes. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Loseff.
38. Special Topics in Russian Literature
05W: 11
In 05W, Despair and Desire in Post-Communist Russia: Contemporary Russian Women Writers (Identical to Women and Gender Studies 41). “I dreamt my mom phoned me after she was dead.” This line from a contemporary play epitomizes the unique voice of Russia’s latest generation of women authors, their search for new modes of expression, and concern for issues of national identity, relations between mothers and children, gender roles and sexuality, and the role of resurrected or repressed memory in constructing a post-Soviet present.
We will analyze how these authors reevaluate the Communist past and view the post- Communist present, as well as how they deal with previously forbidden themes such as the purges, sex, and terminal illnesses. The course will be supplemented by critical readings, including gender criticism, which place the works in a broader cultural and literary context. Authors will include Liudmila Petrushevskaia, Tatiana Tolstaia, and Victor Pelevin.
The course is discussion-oriented and does not require any previous knowledge of Russian literature. All readings are in English. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Sevastianova.
41. Advanced Conversation and Composition
04X, 05X: 9L
This course is the first of the advanced language courses offered by the Department. It concentrates on improving conversation skills, increasing vocabulary, and strengthening the knowledge of grammatical constructs. There will be intensive work in both oral and written Russian.
Prerequisite: Russian 28 or Russian 29. Sevastianova.
42. Advanced Grammar I
05W, 06W: 12
This course aims to increase and perfect the student’s abilities in all areas of Russian language: conversation, composition and reading. In addition to reviewing difficult grammatical points, the sequence will present certain subtleties of language usage accessible only to advanced students.
Prerequisite: Russian 29. Nazyrova.
43. Advanced Grammar II
Not offered in the period from 04F through 05S
45. Special Topics in Russian Language
Not offered in the period from 04F through 05S
62. Structure of Modern Russian
05S, 06S:11
This course will introduce the student to the necessary methodology for analyzing the linguistic structure of Russian, and will examine the theoretical foundations of such an analysis. The course will focus on the structure of the noun, pronoun and verb, as well as on various aspects of Russian word formation.
Prerequisite: Russian 29. Dist: QDS. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Garretson.
71. Topics in Russian Literature
05W, 06W: 2A
In 05W Alexander Pushkin and His Unique Role in Russian History. In this seminar students read works of prose and poetry in Russian, study methods of critical analysis, and practice translation. Each offering of the course will be based on a particular theme or period. Students may take the course more than once provided that the topic is not the same as in a previous election. Dist: LIT. Class of 2007 and earlier: WCult: EU. Class of 2008 and later: WCult: W. Loseff.
85. Independent Reading
All terms: Arrange
Russian 85 is available to students in the Honors Program who intend to do preparatory work for a thesis or to students who wish to study a topic not normally covered in a regularly offered course. In the latter case it is necessary to prepare a one-page proposal describing what the student plans to study and to accomplish during the term. The proposal must then be approved by the faculty member who has agreed to direct the course and by the Department as a whole. Final approval must be received before the beginning of the term in which the course is to be taken.
86. Senior Seminar
Not offered in the period from 04F through 05S
87. Thesis
All terms: Arrange
A program of individual research designed for honors students. Interested students should consult the Chair of the Department.