Description:

This course is a survey of the cultural history of Russia from the ninth century to the present. The approach is interdisciplinary, examining representative examples of Russian art, architecture, music, theater, dance, literature and philosophy in their historical context. In addition to developing the students' appreciation of Russia's contribution to world culture, the course aims to enhance students' understanding of the contemporary world. 3 hrs. lecture/wk. When paired with Introduction to Literature, Russian emphasis, it includes an online component. Usually this course is offered in the spring semester. This course may be offered as a Learning Communities (LCOM) section, see current credit schedule for LCOM details.

Supplies: Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Prerequisites: NONE

Textbook(s): For information see - http://bookstore.jccc.net

Course Fees: NONE

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Describe the premodern historical events and cultural developments of Rus and Muscovy
2. (862-1689) that are the foundation of the Russian cultural heritage.
3. Assess the effect of Peter the Great’s program for the aggressive westernization of Imperial Russia on the development of the Russian cultural identity.
4. Evaluate the influence of the Soviet experiment (1917-1991) on the development of the Russian cultural tradition.
5. Identify the historical and cultural developments of the Imperial and Soviet periods that have shaped the modern Russian cultural identity.
6. Describe significant contributions to the Russian cultural tradition from the media of literature, art, architecture, music, theater, film and dance made during the Premodern, Imperial and Soviet periods.

Content Outline & Competencies:

I. Describe the Premodern Historical Events and Cultural Developments
of Rus and Muscovy (862-1689) that are the Foundation of the Russian
Cultural Heritage
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of the Russian Cultural Heritage:
      1. Old Rus:  Kiev and Novgorod
      2. The Mongol subjugation and the rise of Muscovy
      3. The Time of Troubles and the establishment of the Romanov
dynasty
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the formation of the Russian cultural
identity:
      1. The Orthodox World View
      2. The Third Rome Theory
      3. The Great Schism
   C. Describe the influence of iconography and premodern architectural
styles in the development of the Russian cultural tradition.
   D. Explain the role of the premodern folklore, chronicles, epic poems
and historical styles in modern Russian culture.
   E. Identify significant premodern contributions to the Russian cultural
heritage from the mediums of literature, art and architecture.

II. Assess the Effect of Peter the Great’s Program for the Aggressive
Westernization of Imperial Russia (1689-1917) on the Development of the
Russian Cultural Identity
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of the Russian cultural tradition:
      1. Peter’s transfer of the capital to the newly established city
of St. Petersburg
      2. Peter’s defeat of Emperor Charles XII of Sweden in the Great
Northern War
      3. Napoleon’s Moscow retreat
      4. The Decembrist Uprising
      5. Aleksandr II’s emancipation of the serfs
      6. The annexation of the Caucasian and Central Asian regions
      7. Nikolai II and Bloody Sunday
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the evolution of the Russian cultural
tradition:
      1. The spread of Freemansonry among the educated and the publication
of Karamzin’s History of Russia and Radischev’s Journey
      2. The response of the intelligentsia to Chaadaev’s Philosophical
Letter
      3. The conflicting views of Russia’s past, present and future
offered by the Slavophiles and the Westerners
      4. The revolutionary writings of Herzen and Chernyshevskii
      5. The opposing viewpoints of the Social Revolutionaries and the
Social Democrats
   C. Using the following examples, describe the role played by
architecture in projecting Russia’s national identity in the world:
      1. Elizabeth and Catherine II
      2. Aleksandr I and Nikolai I
      3. The Russian School
      4. Art Moderne
   D. Distinguish the view of the proper role of the arts in Russia held
by the literary and social critics Vissarion Belinskii and Nikolai
Chernyskevskii from that of Sergei Diaghilev’s World of Art group. 
Illustrate the response with examples drawn from the media of literature,
music, painting, theater and ballet.
   E. Explain the role played by the poet in Russian society.  Illustrate
the response with examples.
   F. Describe the contribution of Mikhail Lomonosov and Aleksandr Pushkin
to the development of the Russian literary language.
   G. Identify the following archetypes in the literature of Imperial
Russia:
      1. The superfluous man
      2. The repentant nobleman
      3. The peasant
      4. The bourgeoisie
      5. The revolutionary
Illustrate the response with examples from the media of prose, poetry,
theater and painting.
   H. Compare and contrast the goals of the Russian national school of
Music with those of the internationalist school.  Illustrate your response
with examples.
   I. Describe the contribution of the leading industrialists (Mamontov,
Tretyiakov, Morozov) to the creation of the Russian cultural identity.
   J. Identify significant works of the Imperial period from the media of
literature, art, architecture, music, theater, and dance that have
contributed to the development of the Russian cultural tradition.

III. Evaluate the Influence of the Soviet Experiment (1917-1991) on the
Development of the Russian Cultural Tradition
   A. Identify the role of each of the following historical events in the
evolution of Russian Culture.
      1. War Communism (1918-1922)
      2. Industrialization and Collectivization drives (1930s)
      3. The Great Purge (1930s) and the Gulag
      4. World War II
      5. Khrushchev’s Secret Speech at the 20th CPSU Congress
      6. Perestroika (1986-1991)
   B. Explain the influence of the following philosophical and
intellectual developments on the evolution of the Russian cultural
tradition:
      1. Socialist Realism
      2. The Thaw under Khrushchev and the publication of Aleksandr
Solzhnitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
      3. Andrei Sakharov’s Thoughts on the use of nuclear weapons and
his leadership of the Helsinki Watch group on Human Rights
      4. Samizdat
   C. Identify significant Soviet era contributions to the Russian
cultural tradition from the media of literature, art, architecture, music,
theater, film and dance.

Methods of Evaluation of Competencies:

Evaluation of student mastery of course competencies will be accomplished using the following methods:

   • A minimum of three examinations which will constitute 50% to
75% of the final grade.
   • Supplemental examinations, writing assignments, research papers,
class presentations, or field trips will make up 20 to 30% of the final
grade.
   • The remaining percentage will be left to the instructor’s
discretion for such items as participation in class discussion, etc.

Caveats: NONE

Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services. Access Services will recommend any appropriate accommodations to your professor and his/her director. The professor and director will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact the office of Access Services for Students With Disabilities (913) 469-8500, ext. 3521 or TDD (913) 469-3885. The Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.