Siberia
RUSS 360
Fall 2025
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
REES 360 |
Siberia has been a charged concept in world culture, mostly associated with the cold climate, exile, and prisons. Our course will pay tribute to these aspects of Siberia, grounded in historical and geographical reality, but it will also focus on an exploration of the region that goes beyond the stereotypes. We will explore Siberia as a place with diverse cultures, studying the folklore, literature, and films of its indigenous peoples. We will discuss how Russian literature and films conceptualize the colonization of Siberia, as well as the region's history of dissent and separatism, for example, oblastnichestvo and its aspiration to become "The United States of Siberia." We will explore modern Siberian authors and artists who became influential Russian classics while keeping their distinct Siberian roots, including Siberian punk as one of the most influential movements in late-Soviet and post-Soviet music. The readings will include writings by Nikolai Yadrintsev, Varlam Shalamov, Nikolai Klyuev, Yeremei Aipin, and Viktor Astafiev. The course is taught entirely in Russian. It is open to students who have completed four semesters of Russian or their equivalent, as well as for heritage and native speakers of the Russian language. The assignments will be diversified and adjusted to the individual levels of Russian. Students will get an opportunity to hone their listening, writing, reading, and speaking skills in Russian. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
None |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Minor)(Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Short stories by Varlam Shalamov, Viktor Astafyiev, Yeremey Aipin, Anna Nerkagi
Songs by Egor Letov, Yanka Diagileva, Shortparis. Films: ¿Siberia, Monamour¿ (dir. Vyacheslav Ross), ¿Siberiada¿ (dir. A. Konchalovsky), ¿Aita¿ (dir.S. Burnashev)
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Examinations and Assignments:
Two short presentations, two 3-5-page papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Assignments will be adjusted to the individual level of Russian. |
| Instructor(s): Karageorgos,Natasha Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 16 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 13 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 3 | FR: 3 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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