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Contemporary Issues in Russian Society and Culture


Course Description

An introduction to important aspects of modern Russian society and culture, including popular culture and everyday life. Students will read a variety of texts, including scholarly works, newspaper articles, fiction, and historical accounts. The class is conducted in English and requires no prior knowledge of Russian language or culture.


Athena Title

Russian Society and Culture


Semester Course Offered

Offered summer semester every year.


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

This course is an exploration of key factors (e.g., Eastern Orthodoxy, conservatism in family values, the Soviet past, etc.) that have shaped – and continue to shape – Russian culture and society. This course is designed for students on the UGA Russia Study Abroad program with various degrees of expertise in Russian language and culture, including those who are only beginning to study Russian. The goal is to introduce students to the latest trends in Russian society and culture and help them understand how the Russian past manifests itself today and influences choices that Russians make in their everyday lives. Students will participate in numerous Russian cultural activities (e.g., museum exhibits, city festivals, concerts, meetings with Russian students, etc.) and reflect on contemporary events in Russia. Students will be evaluated on the basis of written assignments (such as personal blogs and reflective essays), class discussions, and a final project.


Topical Outline

The following is a representative outline. Appropriate texts and other material illustrating the various topics will be chosen at the discretion of the instructor. 1. Everyday Life: Nevsky Prospekt as a window into Russian everyday life 2. Russian culinary traditions 3. The Hermitage as an exhibit of Russian diversity and authority 4. City profile: Saint Petersburg – the cultural capital of Russia 5. The Russian subway: Myths and legends 6. Traditions of celebrations: City day 7. Eastern Orthodoxy and its Revival 8. Cults in post-Soviet Russia 9. Russian advertisement and its obscure object 10. Stalin’s skyscrapers 11. Soviet symbols in modern Russia: The Museon Sculpture Park 12. The Kremlin as a center of Russian politics, history and culture 13. Vladimir and Suzdal’ as a window into the ‘other’ Russia 14. VDNKh: New uses of an old park