Below is a list of new or revised courses being offered in Fall 2023 which may be of interest to students in REECAS.
For a full list of REECAS courses, please click on the links to the right.
HISTORY 419: History of Soviet Russia
Instructor: Francine Hirsch
MWF 9:55 – 10:45, discussion sections
4 credits
This course examines the history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991 with a focus on Revolutionary Russia, Stalinism, the experiences and consequences of World War II, the Cold War years, perestroika, and the Soviet collapse. We will look in depth at Soviet nationality policy and at the history of Russian-Ukrainian relations. Throughout the course we will discuss connections between the past and the present–with an eye to understanding Putin’s Russia and the Russo-Ukrainian War.
LITTRANS/SLAVIC 215 - Love and Death: Introduction to Polish Culture
Instructor: Łukasz Wodzyński
TR 1:00-2:15
3 credits
From medieval religious songs to modern era, Polish literature has always struggled with the fundamental mysteries of human existence, leaving in its trail unique tales of heroism, sacrifice, enchantment, despair, passion, and the redeeming power of love. Discover one of the oldest and richest European cultures!
HISTORY 418: History of Russia
Instructor: Geoffrey Durham
TR 4:00 – 5:15
3 credits
The Russian empire reached the peak of its size and power in the first half of the nineteenth century. But by 1917, it had collapsed and the peoples that have been living in it were embroiled in war and revolution. Given the empire’s vast territory and staggering diversity, this course investigates the political, social, economic, and cultural forces that held the empire together and then tore it apart.
SLAVIC 433: History of Russian Culture
Instructor: Sara Karpukhin
MWF 12:05 – 12:55
3 credits
This course focuses on those topics in Russian cultural history that are most often discussed by Russians and serves as the basis for contemporary political and media discourse. (Course taught in Russian.)
SLAVIC 366: Enlightenment, Sovereignty, Democracy
Instructor: Kirill Ospovat
TR 2:30 – 3:45
3 credits
The course will explore the dual political face of Enlightenment, turned at once towards sovereignty and democracy, freedom and governance, colonization and the global market, revolution and enslavement. Students will discuss these topics in the context of global Enlightenments, with a specific focus on Russia, tracing them through the works of philosophers (Francis Bacon, Immanuel Kant), social critics (Guillaume Raynal, Aleksandr Radischev), monarchs, republicans, freed slaves, and indigenous intellectuals.
