Time Schedule:
Galya Diment
RUSS 321
Seattle Campus
Introduction to literary works, art, and architecture in relation to the development of Russian thought, both secular and religious. Attention given to the influences of Western Europe and what is distinctly Russian, and to the formation of national self-awareness. Offered: A.
Class description
We will briefly cover Russia's late medieval era and then move into the 1600s with the period's entertaining and often bawdy social tales as well as a fascinating autobiography of Avvakum, Russia's heretic priest. Women writers -- Catherine the Great, Ekaterina Dashkova, Catherine's surprising pick for the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Nadezhda Durova, who dressed as a man in order to participate in Napoleonic Wars -- will be well represented. And of course late 18th century and early 19th century classics: playwrights -- Fonvizin and Griboedov; story-tellers and novelists -- Karamzin, Pushkin, and Lermontov.
Plus architecture, paintings, music and, last but not least, fashions.
Required Books:
Medieval Russia's Epics, Chronicles, and Tales by Serge A. Zenkovsky
Two Comedies by Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia: Oh, These Times and The Siberian Shaman (Russian Theatre Archive) (Paperback)
Durova, The Cavalry Maiden: Journals of a Russian Officer in the Napoleonic Wars
Pushkin, The Collected Stories (Everyman's Library)
Lermontov, A Hero of Our Time (Penguin Modern Classics)
These all will be available at the UBookstore
Also a Packet with additional works which will be available before the classes start.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Lecture and discussion
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites. All readings and discussions are in English. Students who can are encouraged to to read the materials in Russian.
Class assignments and grading
Reading, Midterm, Final. Optional 'W" course (additional written assignments)
Class participation 20%; Midterm 30%; Final 50%
