Russian Language and Literature

Last updated: August 28, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.

Objectives

The Russian program offers students unique opportunities for the study of Russian language, culture, and literature. Our courses enable students to reach intermediate to advanced levels of language proficiency and attain a strong background in Russian culture and literature. Majors, are encouraged to study in Russia for a semester or a summer. Links to approved Brandeis semester programs in Russia can be found on the department Web site at www.brandeis.edu/departments/grall.

Undergraduate Major and Minor
Our core curriculum features courses in language, culture, and literature open to all students. Literature courses focusing on the classics of the nineteenth century are augmented by seminars on poetry and contemporary authors. Most of our literature courses are taught in English in order to make them accessible to a broad range of students. Bilingual students and advanced students of Russian may choose to do course readings in Russian. Language courses are taught exclusively in Russian. Grammar is presented in communicative contexts incorporating authentic multimedia materials. Our curriculum also includes courses on film, contemporary culture, and East European literature.

Bilingual students interested in Russian language study are encouraged to consult with the language coordinator to determine the appropriate course of study. Students may wish to broaden a major by combining it with a minor in Russian and East European studies (REES), a separate interdisciplinary program.

Brandeis offers a host of extracurricular opportunities for majors, minors, and students interested in Russian language and culture. The Department of German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literature also sponsors regular functions for Russian students, including film series, lectures, and Russian tea hours featuring Russian language conversation for students of all levels. Many activities for those interested in Russian language and culture are organized by and for students. We are proud to host one of the few Russian-language radio shows in Boston. The Russian Club at Brandeis actively sponsors events for Russian students and Russian speakers in the greater Boston community, including Russian-language film series, dances, and mailings about events in the Boston area.

How to Become a Major or a Minor

Students considering a Russian major or minor should complete the language requirement as soon as possible. Students who wish to discuss issues of language placement should speak to the director of the Russian language program. All other questions about the major or the minor should be directed to the undergraduate advising head.

A major in Russian may obtain the Massachusetts teaching certificate at the high school level by additionally completing requirements of the education program. Interested students should meet with the progam director.

Faculty

See the Department of German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literature.

Requirements for the Minor

A. Advanced language study: RUS 105a or 106b.

B. Literature Study in Russian: RUS 150b or RUS 153a.

C. Literature study: Any three RECS courses, which may include the cross-listed courses below. Although most of these courses are taught in English, minors are encouraged to do as much of the required reading in Russian as possible.

Requirements for the Major

A. ECS 100a or ECS 100b (European Cultural Studies: The Proseminar) to be completed no later than the junior year.

B. Advanced language and literature study: RUS 105a or 106b, 150b, and 153a.

C. Literature study: Any five RECS courses, which may include the cross-listed courses below. Although most of these courses are taught in English, majors are encouraged to do as much of the required reading in Russian as possible.

D. Majors wishing to graduate with departmental honors must enroll in and complete RUS 99d (Senior Thesis), a full-year course. Before enrolling, students should consult with the coordinator. Candidates for departmental honors must have a 3.50 GPA in Russian courses previous to the senior year. Honors are awarded on the basis of cumulative excellence in all courses taken in the major and the grade on the honors thesis. One semester of the senior thesis may be counted toward the five required RECS courses.

Courses of Instruction

(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students

RUS 10a Beginning Russian I
For students who have had no previous study of Russian. A systematic presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Russian culture, with focus on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 20b Beginning Russian II
Prerequisite: RUS 10a with a grade of C- or higher or the equivalent as determined by placement examination.
For students with some previous study of Russian. Continuing presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Russian culture, and practice of the four language skills. Special attention to reading and writing skills, as well as guided conversation. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 30a Intermediate Russian I
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Prerequisite: RUS 20b with a grade of C- or higher or the equivalent as determined by placement examination.
For students with some previous study of Russian (RUS 10a and RUS 20b). Continuing presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Russian culture. Special attention to reading and writing skills. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 40b Intermediate Russian II
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Prerequisite: RUS 30a with a grade of C- or higher or the equivalent as determined by placement examination.
Continuing presentation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language within the context of Russian culture. Special attention to reading and writing skills. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 98a Independent Study
May be taken only with the permission of the adviser to majors and the chair of the department.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

RUS 98b Independent Study
May be taken only with the permission of the adviser to majors and the chair of the department.
Reading and reports under faculty supervision. Usually offered every year.
Staff

RUS 99d Senior Thesis
Students should consult the area head of their major.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students

RECS 130a The Russian Novel
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
A comprehensive survey of the major writers and themes of the nineteenth century including Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

RECS 131a Nature, Man, and Machine: Twentieth-Century Russian Literature
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
An introduction to the major works and authors of modernist, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras, including the emigration. Readings include works by Mayakovsky, Bely, Babel, Bulgakov, Nabokov, Akhmatova, Solzhenitsyn, and Pelevin. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

RECS 134b Chekhov
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Offers a detailed investigation of the evolution of Chekhov's art, emphasizing the thematic and structural aspects of Chekhov's works. Attention paid to methods of characterization, use of detail, narrative technique, and the roles into which he casts his audience. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

RECS 135a From Pushkin to Chekhov: The Short Story in Russia
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Focuses on the great tradition of the short story in Russia. This genre has always invited stylistic and narrative experimentation, as well as being a vehicle for the striking, if brief, expression of complex social, religious, and philosophical themes. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

RECS 137a Women in Russian Literature
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Examines questions of female representation and identity and of female authorship. Readings include portrayals of women by men and women authors. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

RECS 146a Dostoevsky: Gods and Monsters
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
A comprehensive survey of Dostoevsky's life and works, with special emphasis on the major novels. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

RECS 147b Tolstoy: Freedom, Chance, and Necessity
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Studies the major short stories and novels of Leo Tolstoy against the backdrop of nineteenth-century history and with reference to twentieth-century critical theory. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

RECS 148a Russian Drama: Text and Performance
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Examines the rich tradition of Russian drama and theater. Readings include masterpieces of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including those by Chekhov, Pushkin, Gogol, Ostrovsky, Mayakovsky, Erdman, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

RECS 149b The Rise and Fall of Russian Modernism: Cultural and Political Revolutions, 1900-1934
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
An interdisciplinary immersion in the period, emphasizing the connections between historical and artistic trends and employing prominent theories of culture. Focuses on major figures, works, and events in film, literature, the performing and visual arts, and political, philosophical, and religious thought. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

RECS 154a The Art of Vladimir Nabokov
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to read the Russian novels either in English translation or in Russian.
A concentrated study of Vladimir Nabokov, the most noted Russian author living in emigration and one of the most influential novelists of the twentieth century. Focuses on the major Russian- and English-language novels. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

RUS 105a Russia Today: Advanced Language Skills through Contemporary Culture
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Prerequisite: RUS 40b, RUS 110a, or permission of the instructor. Taught in Russian.
For advanced students of Russian language who wish to expand their vocabulary and develop their grammar and reading skills. Explores aspects of contemporary Russian society and culture. Texts will be drawn from contemporary prose, the Russian press (including the Internet, selected films, and pop culture). Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 106b Advanced Russian Language through Film
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Prerequisite: RUS 40b, RUS 110a, or permission of the instructor. Taught in Russian.
For advanced students of Russian who wish to enhance their proficiency and accuracy in writing and speaking. Class discussions and writing assignments will focus on aspects of Russian society as they are portrayed in Russian film. Background readings about the films related to relevant aspects of Russian society and language will also be assigned. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 110a Russian Language for Russian Speakers
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Designed to meet the needs of Russian language speakers who have had little or no formal training in their native language and who want to improve reading and writing skills. Readings range from short works of contemporary prose fiction to articles from the contemporary Russian press. Basic rules of orthography and advanced grammar topics will be reviewed. Qualifies as a prerequisite for courses in advanced language and literature studies (RUS 105a, 106b, 150b, 153a), but RUS 110a itself can not be counted toward the major or minor requirements. Usually offered every third year.
Staff

RUS 150b Advanced Russian Language through Literature
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Prerequisite: RUS 40b, 110a, or permission of the instructor. Taught in Russian.
A seminar designed to give intermediate to advanced students of Russian the linguistic and critical skills to analyze literature in Russian. Focuses on poetry and prose of the twentiieth century. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Dubinina

RUS 153a Russian Poetry and Prose in Russian: Undergraduate Seminar
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Prerequisite: RUS 40b or RUS 110a or permission of the instructor. Taught in Russian.
An undergraduate seminar focusing on the advanced study of Russian literataure in the original Russian and development of Russian oral and written language skills needed to analyze and discuss poetry. Includes a selection of the very best Russian poetry and prose of the nineteenth century. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

Cross-Listed in Russian Language and Literature

COML 160a Contemporary East European Literature
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Open to all students. Conducted in English.
Examines works of major East European (Polish, Czech, Russian, and other) authors in the historical context of late Communist and post-Communist experience. Special attention to reading for artistic qualities and engagement of historical and political problems. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock

COML 185a Dickens and Dostoevsky
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Considers such issues as narrative, literary realism, and the manipulation of the grotesque and the sublime in representative works of Dickens and Dostoevsky. Because Dostoevsky was an avid reader of Dickens, class addresses questions of influence, particularly with regard to their shared thematic interests. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller

FA 118b Drawing upon Literature
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Prerequisite: A studio art course taught at Brandeis. Studio fee: $20 per semester.
An interdisciplinary team-taught course bringing together the practice of studio art and the study of literature. Students use Russian fiction and poetry (and some critical theory) as source material for the creation of visual images: drawings in various media, watercolors, prints, and photographs. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Lichtman and Ms. Miller

HUM 125a Topics in the Humanities
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An interdisciplinary seminar on a topic of major significance in the humanities; the course content and instructor vary from year to year; may be repeated for credit, with instructor's permission. Usually offered every third year.
Staff