Russian & Slavonic Studies
Russian, spoken by more than 250 million people worldwide from the northern tundra to the Black Sea beaches, is an international language of culture and commerce, and Russia remains a global political power.

Learning Russian is the key to its rich literary heritage and its fascinating and multifaceted society.
Find out more about Russian at Sheffield
Undergraduate degree combinations
- BA Modern Languages & Cultures
-
On the BA Modern Languages & Cultures you can study:
- Russian language & culture only
- Russian language & culture with one other language & culture
- Russian language & culture with two other languages & cultures
Choose from these languages:
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Catalan
- Dutch
- Luxembourgish* (from second year only)
- Czech
- Italian
- Dual Honours (with a non-language subject)
-
As a Dual Honours degree
- Russian language & culture with a non-language subject
- Russian languages & culture, a second language & culture, and a non-language subject
Combine your study of Russian language & culture with one of the following:
- Business Management
- Economics
- English
- History
- Linguistics
- Music
- Philosophy
- Politics
- Guided Module Choice
-
If you have some experience of modern language learning, you may be able to take Russian language & culture modules either as part of your degree (guided modules) or alongside your degree (not-for-credit modules).
Fast facts
Award: Bachelor of Arts
Duration: 4 years
Entry: ABB at A Level. We also accept a wide range of other qualifications. See individual degree programmes for more detailed information.
Course structure
Language Modules
At Sheffield you can start studying Russian from scratch, meaning you need no previous knowledge of Russian. If you already speak some Russian you can skip the beginners programme and enter at an appropriate level.
In first year post A-Level, you'll spend 3-4 hours per week taking written classes and conversing with a native Russian speaker, in order to achieve communicative fluency in Russian. (Common European Framework Reference for Languages [CEFR] B1). You will also spend 1-2 hours per week studying Russian texts that introduce you to key aspects of Russian culture.
The first year Beginner's Course is taught by native speakers and is for those with no, or limited, knowledge of Russian. It focuses on intensive language study (4-5 hours per week), allowing you to develop the skills to progress quickly and start to bridge the gap to post-A level. (CEFR A1/2).You will take weekly classes studying Russian texts that introduce you to key aspects of Russian culture.
You will study 40 credits in language and culture at either beginner or post A-level*.
Beginner's Russian
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Language Beginners | 20 | Core |
Introduction to Russian Culture The module provides a schematic overview of Russian history from the formation of the Russian State until the present time, and consideration of key literary, political, cinematic and visual culture texts from a number of periods to introduce students to some of the main features of Russian culture. |
20 | Core (if you are studying one or two languages and cultures) Optional (if you are studying three languages and cultures) |
Post A-Level Russian
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Language Post A-Level | 20 | Core |
Introduction to Russian Culture The module provides a schematic overview of Russian history from the formation of the Russian State until the present time, and consideration of key literary, political, cinematic and visual culture texts from a number of periods to introduce students to some of the main features of Russian culture. |
20 | Core (if you are studying one or two languages and cultures) Optional (if you are studying three languages and cultures) |
You may also choose from the following:
Title |
Credits |
Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Poetry, Performance and Prose NB This module is taught in English but we will be reading texts in the original Russian. You will need A-level Russian (or equivalent; CEFR Level A2) for this module. Russian literature is famous for its big novels – but for many Russians, lyric poetry is at least as important. This module explores the connection between the two through a range of nineteenth- and twentieth-century texts from Pushkin to Tsvetaeva. You’ll be given guidance on reading short poems out loud in Russian – a great way to develop both your proficiency in the language as well as confidence in your voice. You’ll then learn to analyse the poems in detail and set them in their historical and literary context. Having done this, you’ll be able to understand the complexities of prose texts by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky or Chekhov. We finish with the vibrant and innovative poetry of the early twentieth century and examine some of its responses to the political and artistic upheavals of the time. |
20 | Optional |
The Soviet Union 1917-1991 An overview of the history of the Soviet Union showing the huge changes the region underwent during the 20th century. The module examines the ideological nature of all historical accounts of the period, especially produced during the Cold War, and encourage a critical engagement with original source materials. The module is taught in English. |
20 | Optional |
The Czechs in Central European History How does a nation come to be: what are its founding myths, the events and relationships that shape its formation? This module examines the history of the Czech lands, beginning with the earliest records and tales of its foundation. In the second half, the module follows the 'national revival' of the early nineteenth century and continues through the founding of the modern Czechoslovak state and its fateful encounters with Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. You will participate via readings and discussion of original historical documents in translation and student-led seminars. |
20 | Optional |
Introduction to European Cinema This is a school-wide module taught by specialists from across the school who have research interests in cinema. It introduces students to some of the main movements in European cinema, and includes a strong Russian and East European element. The module includes seminars and film viewings. |
20 | Optional |
You may also choose from a range of modules from across the School of Languages and Cultures.
* For language classes, you will be placed in an appropriate group for your level.
In your second year, there are separate language courses for ex-beginners and post A-level (3-4 hours per week). By the end of this year, you’ll have the tools to thrive in Russia as a student or in employment, and will be able to talk about more complex and abstract topics (CEFR B1/ B2).
Russian Language Intermediate (following beginner's Russian route)
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Language Intermediate | 20 | Core |
Russian Language Higher Intermediate (following post A-level Russian route)
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Language Higher Intermediate | 20 | Core |
Depending on your degree programme and language combination you will take a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 100 credits from:
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Politics and Culture in the USSR 1917-38 An examination of the relationship between political and cultural questions in the early years of the USSR. Focus will fall on the USSR as a multinational state and the place of Russia within that state and society rather than focusing exclusively on Soviet Russia. Topics covered will include class, gender and ethnicity; literacy and educational reform; the politics of language in a multinational state; nationalism and internationalism; morality and law; art and society; religion and society; conceptions of 'Cultural Revolution'. |
20 | Optional |
Russian Poetry, Performance and Prose Russian literature is famous for its big novels – but for many Russians, lyric poetry is at least as important. This module explores the connection between the two through a range of nineteenth- and twentieth-century texts from Pushkin to Tsvetaeva. You’ll be given guidance on reading short poems out loud in Russian – a great way to develop both your proficiency in the language as well as confidence in your voice. You’ll then learn to analyse the poems in detail and set them in their historical and literary context. Having done this, you’ll be able to understand the complexities of prose texts by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky or Chekhov. We finish with the vibrant and innovative poetry of the early twentieth century and examine some of its responses to the political and artistic upheavals of the time. Level-appropriate guidance on approaches to literary study will be given. Regular and varied assessments spread the workload through the year and give you plenty of opportunities to receive feedback (including some from your fellow students) and develop a range of analytical skills. |
20 | Optional |
Prague at the Crossroads of East and West The module examines iconic places in Prague as starting points for investigating the history, culture and society of the Czech lands and their relations with other European powers, especially Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Visual arts, architecture, historical documents and literature will be used to understand the sources and influences, both domestic and foreign, that define the Czech identity and how the Czechs negotiate a place for themselves between larger and more powerful neighbours. |
20 | Optional |
Remembering the Soviet Union Thirty years after its collapse, ordinary citizens’ accounts of life in the Soviet Union are still emerging. This module examines their place in Russian literature of the past hundred years. We’ll think about how different kinds of sources claim to represent the past, with a focus on literature in particular, and will see how accounts of personal experience relate to dominant |
20 | Optional |
And choose from year 2 School-wide modules.
You can spend part or all your third year studying at a university or language school in Russia. This allows you to experience the familiarity of student life with the excitement of living in another country. University life varies enormously across the world, however wherever they go, our students develop international networks and life-long friendships. Courses at international universities expose our students to new ways of studying, learning, and interpreting the world.
In your final year, core language modules will build on your existing expertise in written and spoken Russian to develop sophisticated and idiomatic language use across a range of topics (CEFR C1).
In your second and final year, depending on your degree programme, you can choose to deepen your cultural, political and historical knowledge of Russia across the range of specialist modules we offer.
You may also choose to write a Russian Studies dissertation in your final year.
Russian Language Advanced (All students)
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Advanced Russian Language Through Literary Texts | 10 | Core |
Applied Russian Language Skills | 10 | Core |
Depending on your degree programme and language combination you will take a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 100 credits from:
Title | Credits | Core/Optional |
---|---|---|
Russian Poetry, Performance and Prose Russian literature is famous for its big novels – but for many Russians, lyric poetry is at least as important. This module explores the connection between the two through a range of nineteenth and twentieth-century texts from Pushkin to Tsvetaeva. You’ll be given guidance on reading short poems out loud in Russian – a great way to develop both your proficiency in the language |
20 | Optional |
Politics and Culture in the USSR 1917-38 An examination of the relationship between political and cultural questions in the early years of the USSR. Focus will fall on the USSR as a multinational state and the place of Russia within that state and society rather than focusing exclusively on Soviet Russia. Topics covered will include class, gender and ethnicity; literacy and educational reform; the politics of language in a multinational state; nationalism and internationalism; morality and law; art and society; religion and society; conceptions of 'Cultural Revolution'. |
20 | Optional |
Remembering the Soviet Union Thirty years after its collapse, ordinary citizens’ accounts of life in the Soviet Union are still emerging. This module examines their place in Russian literature of the past hundred years. We’ll think about how different kinds of sources claim to represent the past, with a focus on literature in particular, and will see how accounts of personal experience relate to dominant narratives. |
20 | Optional |
Prague at the Crossroads of East and West The module examines iconic places in Prague as starting points for investigating the history, culture and society of the Czech lands and their relations with other European powers, especially Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia, in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty first centuries. Architecture, visual arts, historical documents and literature will be used to understand the sources and influences, both domestic and foreign, that define the Czech identity and how the Czechs negotiate a place for themselves between larger and more powerful neighbours. |
20 | Optional |
And choose from year 4 School-wide modules.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it is up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research, funding changes, professional accreditation requirements, student or employer feedback, outcomes of reviews, and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Information last updated: 9 May 2022