Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Major
Major Description
The Major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (REES) provides students with a thorough, interdisciplinary understanding of contemporary Russia and other post-Soviet states, their culture, society, history, politics, and economic institutions. REES faculty specialize in the literature, history, politics, music, cinema, art, dance, and religion of this region. Students are expected to achieve an advanced level of fluency in Russian or another language of the region and learn to work with target-language sources and media to conduct original research in their chosen area of specialization. Study abroad in the region is encouraged when appropriate.
Students drawn to the REES major bring an interdisciplinary orientation, strong critical thinking and analytical abilities, and a curiosity about learning languages. They may have a cultural interest in the region’s rich history, literature, or artistic traditions. Alternatively, they may want to focus on the role of this region--as it transformed from the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union and to its successor states--in global affairs and the worldwide economy.
The REES major can provide insights into different worldviews and social systems, preparing graduates for advanced study or careers in research and cultural analysis, education, law, artistic production, diplomacy and public service, business, and communication.
Admission to the Major
Students normally declare a major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies in the spring of sophomore year. Interested students should begin their study of Russian language as early as possible and should consult a REES faculty member before declaring the major. To be accepted into the program, students must have a minimum overall average of B in courses related to the major.
Major Requirements
There are two possible concentrations in the REES major.
- Language, literature, and culture. Majors must complete RUSS 101, 102, 201, 202, and one 300-level course conducted in Russian or the equivalent, as well as five more courses, three of which must be in literature & culture and two of which must be in social sciences. If a student places out of one or more semesters of language, they must take enough courses in REES to add up to a total of 10. For example, a student who places out of two semesters of first-year Russian would take two more semesters of language, one 300-level course conducted in Russian, plus seven more courses.
- Social sciences. Majors must complete RUSS 101, 102, 201, 202, or the equivalent, as well as six more courses. These courses must include at least three in the category of social sciences and at least two in the category of literature & culture. If a student places out of one or more semesters of language, they must take enough courses in REES to add up to a total of 10. For example, a student who places out of two semesters of first-year Russian would take two semesters of language plus eight more courses.
Students who wish to fulfill the language requirement by studying a language of Eastern Europe or Central Asia other than Russian may do so, subject to approval by the chair.
REES Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences | ||
| GOVT274 | Russian Politics | 1 |
| RELI225 | Socialist Utopias: Transcendence and Religion in Communist States | 1 |
| RELI225F | Socialist Utopias: Transcendence and Religion in Communist States (FYS) | 1 |
| RELI271 | Secularism: Godlessness from Luther to Lenin | 1 |
| RELI239 | Modern Shamanism: Ecstasy and Ancestors in the New Age | 1 |
| RELI289 | Indigenous Religions: Politics, Land, Healing | 1 |
| HIST151 | Introduction to History: The "Russian World" Past and Present | 1 |
| HIST219 | Russian and Soviet History, 1881 to the Present | 1 |
| HIST318 | The Politics of Death: The Living, the Dead, and the State | 1 |
| HIST353 | The Communist Experience in the 20th Century | 1 |
| RELI299 | Imagining Communities: National Religions and Political Rituals | 1 |
| HIST395 | "If there is no God, then everything is permitted?" Moral Life in a Secular World | 1 |
| Literature and Culture in English | ||
| MUSC121 | Queering Russian Music | 1 |
| MUSC296 | Soundscapes of Islam | 1 |
| MUSC297 | Music of Central Asia: From Throat-singing to Heavy Metal | 1 |
| REES205 | Murder and Adultery: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and the 19th-Century Russian Novel | 1 |
| REES208F | Otherness & Belonging (FYS) | 1 |
| REES220 | Speak, Memory: The Russian Memoir | 1 |
| REES223 | After Communism: Animals, Avatars, Hybrids | 1 |
| REES224 | Performing Russian Culture: From Peter the Great to the Russian Revolution | 1 |
| REES233 | Introduction to Russian and Soviet Cinema | 1 |
| REES235 | Queer Russia | 1 |
| REES240F | Russian Masterpieces: Great Short Works (FYS) | 1 |
| REES251 | Dostoevsky | 1 |
| REES252 | Tolstoy | 1 |
| REES254 | Nobel Laureates: The Politics of Literature | 1 |
| REES255 | Prague, Vienna, Sarajevo: 20th-Century Novels from Central and Eastern Europe | 1 |
| REES256 | The Soviet Century | 1 |
| REES267 | Parody: Humor, Artistic Evolution, and Restoration of the Sacred | 1 |
| REES268 | Nabokov | 1 |
| REES276 | Contemporary Russian Literature | 1 |
| REES277 | Gogol and His Legacy: Witches, Con Men, and Runaway Noses | 1 |
| REES279 | Chekhov: Prose vs. Drama | 1 |
| REES321 | Moscow/Berlin: Dreamworld and Catastrophe | 1 |
| Courses Conducted in Russian | ||
| REES260 | Dostoevsky's BRAT'IA KARAMAZOVY | 1 |
| CGST234 | Introduction to Russian and Soviet Cinema (CLAC.50) | 0.5 |
| CGST330 | Reading Tolstoy in Russian (CLAC .50) | .5 |
| CGST350 | Twentieth-Century Russian Poetry (CLAC .50) | .5 |
| CGST352 | The Communist Experience in the Soviet Union (CLAC.50) | .5 |
| Language | ||
| RUSS101 & RUSS102 | Elementary Russian I and Elementary Russian II | 3 |
| RUSS201 & RUSS202 | Intermediate Russian I and Intermediate Russian II | 2 |
Student Learning Goals
The major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of contemporary Russian culture and society, its history, its political and economic institutions, and its place in the world. At the end of their studies students should have achieved an advanced level of fluency in the language and should be able to work with Russian sources to conduct original research in their chosen area of specialization. They should be able to read or watch Russian media and understand the historical and cultural references that frame Russians' understanding of their world. Students should also have a basic familiarity with the historical, cultural, social, and political developments of the other post-Soviet states beyond Russia and have the opportunity to explore these countries in more detail if they so desire.
Study Abroad
Given the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, students should consult with the faculty about any plans for study abroad. Students may study in Eastern Europe or Central Asia as long as the program includes a language component. For a semester of study abroad on an approved program, four credits will count toward graduation, of which two will count toward the REES major. For a summer of study abroad on an approved program, two credits will count toward graduation, of which one will count toward the REES major.
Language Requirement
Majors must complete two or three years of college-level Russian or the equivalent, depending on their major track. Minors must complete one year of college-level Russian or the equivalent.
Prizes
Scott Prize, Priscilla Meyer Fund
Honors
To qualify to receive honors or high honors in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies (REES), a student must write a senior thesis that will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the tutor, a second reader from the REES faculty, and one additional reader either from REES or from the faculty at large. This committee makes the final decision on departmental honors. Only a two-semester senior thesis may be submitted for honors in REES.
Capstone
No capstone is required. Available capstone experiences include study abroad, seminars conducted in Russian, and senior honors theses.