Overview
John Bartle
Program Committee
John Bartle (Russian)
Jason Cieply(Russian)
Shoshana Keller (History)
Sharon Rivera (Government)
The goal of Hamilton’s Russian Studies program is to explore in a deep, interdisciplinary way the language, literature, culture, history, and politics of the Russian-speaking countries of Eurasia.
Students will learn to:
- communicate, both orally and in writing, with native and near-native Russian speakers on a variety of non-technical topics
- paraphrase unabridged Russian texts, including internet sites
- conduct multidisciplinary research in Russian Studies
- lead a substantive conversation about the literary, historical, and political events and works that shape Russian culture
Russian Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the language, literature, culture, historical development and politics of Russia. The concentration in Russian Studies consists of nine courses: the core courses RSNST-221, RSNST-222 and RUSSN-370; five other courses from the list below; and the Senior Project (RSNST-550), which must include use of Russian language sources. Completion of the Senior Project requires registration in RSNST-550. A copy of the description of the senior program is available in Christian A. Johnson 118. Study in Russia may be counted toward the concentration. Honors will be determined by excellence in coursework and the Senior Project. A minor in Russian studies consists of five courses from the list below. All 100-level courses are open to juniors and seniors. In order to fulfill the Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies Requirement, students must complete two of the following courses: RSNST-100, RSNST-169, RSNST-213, RSNST-221, RSNST-222, or RSNST-225.
The first-year Russian language course pays particular attention to the cultural context of the language. Emphasis is placed on the language of contemporary Russian media at the second-year level, followed by the opportunity to begin close reading of Russian literature in the original in RUSSN-370. Near-native and heritage speakers are encouraged to enroll in any of the Russian Studies courses. The readings can be completed in Russian with permission of instructor. Study in Russia on a semester or year program is strongly recommended for those interested in Russian Studies.