This course delves into the transformative events of early 20th-century Russia, beginning with the collapse of the tsarist regime and the revolution of 1917. It examines the creation of a new society after the devastation of the Civil War (1918–1921) and traces the evolving political landscape of the 1920s. Key topics include the Bolshevik regime’s efforts to control industry and food production, debates over the revolution’s direction, and the emergence of “new people” as a result of revolutionary changes. The course also explores the global impact of Communism, including the role of the Communist International, before turning to Stalin’s rise to power. Students will look at Stalin’s totalitarian rule, the changes caused by industrialization and collectivization in the early 1930s, and their profound consequences. Finally, the course investigates Stalin’s reign of terror, focusing on the Great Purges and the extensive prison camp system (the Gulag).

This course examines events and transformations in Soviet history from the late 1930s to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It begins with an exploration of World War II and the victory over Nazi Germany, focusing on its profound impact on the Soviet Union, and the USSR’s shifting international and domestic position after the war. The origins and key causes of the Cold War are analyzed, alongside the establishment of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe, social developments, and Stalinist governance. The course then investigates the Khrushchev and Brezhnev eras, highlighting political changes and social tensions following Stalin’s death. Gorbachev’s reforms under perestroika are studied carefully, culminating in an analysis of the Soviet Union’s dissolution. Finally, students will explore the post-Soviet landscape, with a brief discussion of the former Soviet republics and Russia’s policies toward them, focusing on the invasion of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea and recent signs of aggression against Georgia and Moldova.

The philosophical and religious tradition of the Eastern Church is distinct from the Roman Catholic tradition, which developed through scholarly activity in monasteries and universities during the Middle Ages and was closely connected to the intellectual currents that later led to major social changes in Western Europe. Within the Orthodox Churches, Neoplatonism always had a strong influence and directed religious thought more toward experience and expression than metaphysical analysis. However, the leading philosophers of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century were well-educated in Western philosophy, which resulted in the emergence, at the end of that century and the beginning of the twentieth, of a unique philosophical tradition grounded both in the spiritual emphasis of the Eastern Church and the rationalism of the West. This course offers a broad overview of this history of ideas and its most prominent thinkers, Ukrainian and Russian alike.

In the 19th century, a body of literature emerged in Russia that not only came to shape public discourse and the nation’s self-image, but also left a profound mark on world literature and influenced how other cultures perceived Russia and Russian culture. This course examines the development of Russian literature throughout the 19th 12
century and the rise of the “great novel”. We will explore the major literary movements and trends of the period, the social context in which they arose, and how particular literary types, themes, and broader societal issues are reflected in the works of several authors. The course will also consider how these works were received in Russia in their own time and the place they hold today—both in Russia and in smaller literary systems such as Iceland.

The examination of the great novel will continue, and we will explore its fate at the turn of the century. Upheavals and revolutions shook Russian society at the beginning of a new century, and at the same time, a remarkable cultural and artistic flourishing took place in the country. Changing circumstances and growing uncertainty called for new forms, sharper approaches, and more serious and pressing artistic and political challenges. Russian literature underwent a test of endurance amidst the upheavals of revolution, civil war and during the reign of terror in the Soviet Union. Through poems, short stories and novels, we will explore the social and political challenges faced by literature in 20th-century Russia/Soviet Union.