Russian II: The History of Russian Culture and Ideas

On completion of the course, students shall be able to:

• demonstrate basic knowledge of Russian cultural history from the Middle Ages through to the present
• give an account of the most significant periods in Russian history
• demonstrate knowledge of several representative works of Russian art, film and literature
• demonstrate insight into how cultural processes have influenced the formation of the modern Russian state, as well as notions of Russian national identity.

This course comprises an introduction to Russian culture through a study of selected cultural phenomena, with a focus on the history of ideas. Students discuss connections between cultural processes and history, as well as how these connections have influenced the formation of a national consciousness and notions of Russian identity. The course also deals with Russian art, film and literature through oral discussion of and written assignments on several characteristic works.

Students are examined continuously through the assessment of active participation in seminars, as well as through a final paper.

Swedish is used as the language of instruction. Instruction is conducted in the form of obligatory seminars.

The Swedish grades U–VG.

To achieve the grade of VG for the whole course, VG is required on module 1.

Reporting of grades:
Module 1: Active participation in seminars - 7.5 cr
Module 2: Paper - 2.5 cr