Russian Studies (RUSS)
Studying Russian, the fifth most widely spoken language in the world, becomes especially important at the present time when Russian aggression in Ukraine has the potential to disrupt the world order. By developing students’ language skills and expanding their knowledge of all the cultures in the region that use Russian, the Russian studies program strives to make students active participants in the multicultural, global community. Because Russian is one of the less-frequently taught languages, a major in Russian can become a unique and decisive factor in students’ future careers in law, journalism, international affairs, academia, and public and government services. The faculty of the Russian studies program believes that even with a mastery of Russian grammar, real communication is still impossible unless students become familiar with the culture, society and life experiences of Russian speakers across the region. For that reason, the Russian studies program offers courses in literature, culture, film and Russian and East European society (both in Russian and English).
All Russian language courses beyond RUSS 104 Intermediate Russian II include assignments that are designed to develop students’ writing and speaking skills. The “content” Russian language courses at the 200 and 300 levels, and courses on Russian culture and literature taught in English, also help students enhance their critical thinking and information literacy.
Major in Russian Studies
The major in Russian studies consists of eight courses:
| Four language courses beyond RUSS 103 | 4 | |
| 300-level seminar in Russian | 1 | |
| Three Russian literature/culture courses taught in English | 3 | |
RUSS 204 Russian Conversation is encouraged as a complement to upper-level language courses, but neither RUSS 204 Russian Conversation nor RUSS 209 Russian Complementary Reading count toward the major requirement of five language courses beyond RUSS 103 Intermediate Russian I. A 300-level Russian language seminar completed during the senior year will fulfill the College of Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum Culminating Experience requirement. This requirement also can be fulfilled by an honors thesis in Russian.
The Russian studies program offers four levels of Russian language study, striving to bring students to the intermediate high/advanced low level according to the ACTFL scale. This means that after graduation, students are able to function effectively in Russian. Students majoring in Russian are strongly urged to deepen their knowledge of the language and country by studying in an approved summer or semester program in Russia.
Russian Studies Minor
A minor in Russian Studies requires five credits in the program. At least one of the five credits, taught in either Russian or English, must have a strong literature/culture component.
- Demonstrate the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and comprehension) at an intermediate-high/advanced-low level. (1, 2, 6, 7, 9)
- Demonstrate proficiency in the discussion and analysis of cultural, political, historical and literary issues within the Russian-speaking world. (2, 3, 4, 5)
- Display an appreciation of foreign languages in general, sensitivity to cultural differences and a deeper understanding of their own culture. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
- Develop the knowledge and skills for effective functioning in either a post-graduate academic environment or a professional career. (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
Numbers in parentheses reflect related Educational Goals of Bucknell University.
Courses
RUSS 101. Elementary Russian I. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:4,Recitation:1
Fundamentals of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending Russian, and an introduction to Russian culture.
RUSS 101A. Intensive Elementary Russian. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:4,Recitation:1
Intensive elementary Russian in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending Russian. Fundamentals of first-year Russian covered in one semester.
RUSS 102. Elementary Russian II. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:4,Recitation:1
Fundamentals of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehending Russian, and an introduction to Russian culture. Prerequisite: RUSS 101 or equivalent is prerequisite for RUSS 102.
RUSS 103. Intermediate Russian I. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:2
Continued focus on all language skills combined with the study of cultural texts. Prerequisite: RUSS 101A or RUSS 102 or equivalent for RUSS 103; RUSS 103 is the prerequisite for RUSS 104.
RUSS 104. Intermediate Russian II. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:4,Recitation:1
Advanced points of grammar and review of grammar. Training in all language skills combined with the study of cultural texts. Prerequisite: RUSS 102 or equivalent for RUSS 103; RUSS 103 is the prerequisite for RUSS 104.
RUSS 125. Topics in Russian Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
An examination of everyday life in Russia, as a mirror of historical, ideological, sociological, and economic forces. In English.
RUSS 150. Russian History on Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3,Other:2
Course examines differences between the actual and cinematic histories as they are reflected in Russian and American cinemas. In English.
RUSS 201. Advanced Russian I. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Advanced topics of Russian grammar; review of intermediate grammar. Advanced reading, composition, and conversation. In Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 104 or equivalent.
RUSS 204. Russian Conversation. .5 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:2; Repeatable
Concentrated development of speaking skill. Conducted entirely in Russian by a native speaker. Intended for students enrolled in 200- and 300-level courses.
RUSS 205. Russian for Business. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
Designed for proficiency in business communication skills. Studies the grammar and lexicology of commercial offers, orders, contracts, complaints, shipping, and delivery. In Russian.
RUSS 209. Russian Complementary Reading. .5 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:1
Russian sources read in conjunction with English language courses. Independent course of study established by instructor and student. Prerequisite: the equivalent of four semesters of Russian. This course cannot be taken more than twice.
RUSS 226. Russian Through Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An advanced study of Russian through film and television programs. In Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 104 or permission of the instructor.
RUSS 230. Russian Song: Poetry, Politics, Pop. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
The role of song in Russian culture. Genres studied include art song, guitar poetry, contemporary pop and folk rock. In Russian.
RUSS 235. Russian Amerika. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The confrontation of Russian and American cultures through the lens of literary giants. We explore the effects of displacement and exile, dual cultural identity, and the immigrant experience. Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Brodsky, and Shteyngart are among the authors considered. In English.
RUSS 240. From Russia to the Stars: Russian Sci-Fi through the Ages. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
From utopian dreams of the 1800s to contemporary sci-fi, this course introduces students to over 100 years of Russian art dreaming of a world beyond the present. In English.
RUSS 250. Crimes and Punishments: 19th-century Russian Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Survey of major works of 19th-century Russian literature by Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov and their influence on Western European literary canon. In English.
RUSS 252. Russian Through Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
A study of Russian through literary works by contemporary Russian writers. In Russian.
RUSS 254. Russian Through History. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
Advanced study of Russian through history and its treatments in literature, film, music, and media. In Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 104.
RUSS 255. Dangerous Texts: 20th-century Russian Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Discussion of major trends and key literary figures in Russian literature from the 1917 Revolution to post-Soviet Russia. Focuses on texts that challenge established orthodoxies. In English.
RUSS 280. Topics in the Slavic Languages. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Study of a Slavic language other than Russian. Languages may include Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, and Serbo-Croatian. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
RUSS 295. Topics in Russian Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Readings and discussion of special interest relevant to Russian studies. Topics selected by students in consultation with the instructor. In Russian.
RUSS 305. Russian Media. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An advanced study of the Russian language through close reading and discussion of Russian media.
RUSS 311. Readings in Russian Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
An advanced study of the Russian language through close reading and discussion of short works by major Russian writers. In Russian. Not open to students who have taken RUSS 252.
RUSS 312. Readings in Russian Poetry. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An advanced study of Russian through close reading and discussion of Russian poetry. In Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 201 or RUSS 252. Not open to students who have taken RUSS 230.
RUSS 314. Russian History and Politics: Russian History and its Reincarnations in Contemporary Politics. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
Advanced study of Russian through history and its reincarnations in contemporary politics and culture. In Russian. Not open to students who have taken RUSS 254. Prerequisites: RUSS 201 or RUSS 226 or RUSS 230 or RUSS 252.
RUSS 330. Nabokov and His Worlds. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Major works of one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. Nabokov's Russian and American periods examined in the context of both literary traditions. In English. Crosslisted as RUSS 630.
RUSS 357. Petroleum Putinism & Plutonium. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the role of nationalism, alongside ideas about energy and nature, in the Russian state’s current & historical colonial relationships with neighboring countries, Central Asia and Indigenous communities of Siberia. Topics include Russian imperial/Soviet state extractivist economics, Russian/regional pipeline and petro politics, social resistance and climate change futures. Crosslisted as ENST 357 and POLS 357.
RUSS 390. Independent Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Advanced independent research under the supervision of an instructor. Subject to be selected by student in consultation with the instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
RUSS 393. Honors in Russian. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Independent study for RUSS 393 Honors in Russian. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Faculty
Professor: James E. Lavine (Director)
Associate Professor: Ludmila S. Lavine
Assistant Professor: Lenora Murphy (Adjunct)