Russian Area Studies

The magical Russian Firebird—with its feathers of pure gold—embodies the creative genius and salvational glory of the Russian performing arts. In this course we will explore Russian ballet, opera, music, and theater and their place in the culture and history of Russia and the Soviet Union, from the age of Tolstoy to the Putin era, from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to Pussy Riot, the feminist protest group. In addition to larger themes and movements, we will consider the contexts, histories, meanings—and, in some cases, iconic afterlives—of selected works and their masterful creators.

With Russian military forces surging through Ukraine in an unprovoked and catastrophic war that few in Russia or the West had predicted, as President Vladimir Putin threatens the annihilation of Ukraine’s statehood and the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons, now is the time to plunge into a study of that authoritarian leader of the world’s largest country. What are the causes and consequences of this catastrophic conflict? How did Putin accumulate so much power? What have been his goals, values and operating principles? A product of Leningrad’s “mean streets,” the young Putin sought glory in the KGB, and after the demise of the Soviet Union—a collapse he rues to this day—moved into the heights of power. We will explore Vladimir Putin’s life path, political strategies and policies, ideas about Russia’s identity and place in the world, and his image as the epitome of both potent masculinity and the devil incarnate. We will also delve into Russian politics and society in the era of this enigmatic, potent, and murderous leader.