Russian & Slavonic Studies

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'.

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.

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 Visual arts, architecture, historical documents and literature will be used to understand the sources and influences, both domestic and foreign, that define the Czech identity and how the Czechs negotiate a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.

Structures of Russian

How do linguists describe the features of the Russian language? Russian, which has a very different sort of morphology and syntax from English, poses problems for learners in acquiring and understanding some of these features, such as noun and verb inflection, aspect and word order. In this module, we explore some of these topics, assess different approaches to them, and come to a better understanding of them.

Soviet Culture in the Era of the Great Terror

The Era of the Great Terror in Stalinist Russia is examined through its cultural production and contemporary critique of ideology. The primary materials are Soviet films of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as works of fiction, biographies, memoirs, documents, and illustrative material on art and architecture. The purpose of the module is to explore traditional approaches of ‘totalitarian’ and ‘revisionist’ theories and histories in the context of various cultural manifestations of Stalinist Russia. Readings from sources such as diaries and literary works, critical and historical studies, and visual material from film and art will enable you to historicize the concept of ‘totalitarian culture’.

Contemporary Russian Society

Russia is an extremely varied and complex society and it has gone through some dramatic changes since 1985. The attempt to reform the highly dysfunctional economy and society of the 1970s spiralled out of control in the late 1980s and led to the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 This was just the beginning, however, as the economy went into freefall in the 1990s and only at the end of that decade did it begin to stabilise. Since this time Russia has been increasingly assertive on the world stage and some fear a new Cold War is emerging. The module examines the many dimensions of change in Russia, including consideration of economic, political and social transformations, and pays particular attention to such issues as the changing role of the family, questions of sexuality, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Nationalism, freedom and dissent.

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'.

Structures of Russian

How do linguists describe the features of the Russian language? Russian, which has a very different sort of morphology and syntax from English, poses problems for learners in acquiring and understanding some of these features, such as noun and verb inflection, aspect and word order. In this module, we explore some of these topics, assess different approaches to them, and come to a better understanding of them.

Soviet Culture in the Era of the Great Terror

The Era of the Great Terror in Stalinist Russia is examined through its cultural production and contemporary critique of ideology. The primary materials are Soviet films of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as works of fiction, biographies, memoirs, documents, and illustrative material on art and architecture. The purpose of the module is to explore traditional approaches of ‘totalitarian’ and ‘revisionist’ theories and histories in the context of various cultural manifestations of Stalinist Russia. Readings from sources such as diaries and literary works, critical and historical studies, and visual material from film and art will enable you to historicize the concept of ‘totalitarian culture’.