RUS 389-01 - Advanced Russian Seminar

4 credits (Spring)

The Cultural Phenomenon of the Thaw in Russian Culture. The focus of this seminar is the cultural phenomenon of the Thaw (Ottepel’) in Russian and Soviet culture—the brief period after Stalin’s death that ushered in an era of reform, with a relaxation of repression and censorship. We will examine its expression and representation in literature, film, art, music, and popular culture. Texts will include works by Ehrenburg, Solzhenitsyn, and Yevtushenko, as well as films by Kalatozov and Khutsiev, and contemporary Russian representations, such as Todorovsky’s tele-serial “The Thaw.” Special emphasis will be placed on developing writing skills in Russian. Conducted in Russian.

Prerequisite: RUS 313.
Instructor: Armstrong