Academic Program
Native-Speaker Language Assistant
Russian Table
Russian House
Russian Language LabRussian Film
Multimedia and Technology Support
Russian Artist-in-Residence
Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC)
Slavic Coffeehouse
Russian Study Award
Russian/REES Excursions
Contact us:
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Todd Patrick Armstrong, Chair |
641-269-3051
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Russian Department
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Fax:
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Grinnell College
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641-269-4953
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Grinnell, Iowa 50112
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Academic Program:
The student of Russian first develops a basic competence in the language as a means of communication--reading, speaking, aural comprehension, and writing. This competence is then applied to Russian literature, Russia's human past and present. The study of the language and its embodiment in literature can, therefore, serve students whose specializations are in any academic discipline, enhancing their capabilities for research and their appreciation of aesthetic and cultural diversity.The recommended sequence of study for all students with an interest in Russian language covers four semesters (Russian 101, 102, 221, 222). Those entering with a previous background in Russian are placed in this sequence on the basis of a comprehensive test and an interview with the departmental staff. Opportunities for further study include courses in syntactical and literary analysis of the language and seminars on a broad variety of topics chosen by students. (See Independent Study.)
The department also offers modern Russian literature in translation (Russian 243, 265, 351, 361) and interdisciplinary courses on modern Russian society. These provide access to Russian literature and culture for students who do not have a command of the language. Russian majors are encouraged to broaden and deepen their understanding of the Russian experience by exploring other disciplines--history, philosophy, the social sciences, and the languages and literatures of other national heritages. With this background, they may seek careers in teaching and scholarship, government, library science and informational services, and international trade. In addition, study in mathematics and the natural sciences in conjunction with a Russian major can open doors to many other careers.
Language is, of course, a social phenomenon.
For this reason, many students of Russian become involved in the lively
extracurricular program: Russian House, Russian-language dinners, parties,
films, visits and lectures by Russian and American specialists. A native
Russian student assistant is in residence in Russian House to make spoken
Russian a daily reality. To encourage further mastery of the language,
the college is affiliated with programs of study in Russia; in Moscow,
St. Petersburg, and Krasnodar. A 2-credit study tour during winter recess
to the former Soviet Union (Social Studies 270) also is offered in alternate
years in conjunction with an 8-credit course on modern Russian society.
(See Off-Campus Study.)
- Requirements for the major
- 101 Beginning Russian I (1) 5 credits
- 102 Beginning Russian II (2) 5 credits
- 114 Introduction to General Linguistics (2) 4 credits
- 200 Conversational Russian (1 or 2) 1 credit
- 221 Intermediate Russian I (1) 4 credits
- 222 Intermediate Russian II (2) 4 credits
- 243 Modern Russian Literature: From Its 4 credits+
Beginning to Chekhov (2) - 265 Modern Russian Literature: 20th Century (1) 4 credits+
- 331 Readings in Russian Literature of the 19th Century (1) 4 credits
- 332 Readings in Russian Literature of the 20th Century (2) 4 credits
- 351 Dostoevsky (2) 4 credits+
- 361 Tolstoy (1) 4 credits+
- 495 Seminar in Russian Culture and Linguistics (1) 4 credits
- 498 Seminar in Russian Literature and Linguistics
(2) 4 credits
- Related courses offered by other departments
The Major
A minimum of 32 credits beyond Russian 102. With permission, up to 8 of the 32 credits may be taken in related studies outside the department. The recommended sequence includes Russian 101, 102, 221, 222, 243, 331, 332, 351 or 361, and 495 or 498. Beyond the language sequence (101-332) and the literary component of any off-campus program, 4 credits of work using original texts are required. (This requirement may be satisfied through "Plus-2" components of literature courses, independent reading projects, group independents, 495 or 498.) Recommended programs may include Russian 114 Introduction to General Linguistics, History 241-242 Russian History I and II, or a second foreign language.101 Beginning Russian I (1) 5 credits
Intensive treatment of elementary Russian grammar, with special emphasis on pronunciation, basic conversational ability, and thorough coverage of contrastive English-Russian grammar. Conducted primarily in Russian. Meets five times a week. Prerequisites: none. ARMSTRONG, HEROLD.102 Beginning Russian II (2) 5 credits
A follow-up course to Russian 101, stressing the further study of grammatical usage and the development of reading and speaking ability. Conducted in Russian. Meets five times a week. Prerequisites: Russian 101 or equivalent. GREENE, HEROLD.114 Introduction to General Linguistics (2) 4 credits
Also listed as Anthropology 114, English 114, and General Literary Studies 114. Scientific description of the language: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics. Contributions of various schools: traditional, descriptive, and generative-transformational grammars. Survey of the subdisciplines psycho- and sociolinguistics. For those who have a general interest in language and those who need some acquaintance with linguistics for their studies in other fields. HEROLD.200 Conversational Russian (1 or 2) 1 credit
Conversation on free and structured themes, with topics drawn from different aspects of Russian and American life. Prerequisites: Russian 102 or equivalent. May be repeated once for credit. STAFF.221 Intermediate Russian I (1) 4 credits
A reading and discussion course whose materials focus on contemporary culture with emphasis on the continuing study of grammatical concepts introduced in Russian 101 and 102. Conducted in Russian. Meets four times a week. Prerequisites: Russian 102 or equivalent. GREENE.222 Intermediate Russian II (2) 4 credits
A continuation of Russian 221. Materials focus on major aspects of Russian culture, with added emphasis on the study of more complex grammatical concepts. Conducted in Russian. Meets three times a week. Prerequisites: Russian 221 or equivalent. GREENE. 243 Modern Russian Literature: From Its 4 credits+
Beginning to Chekhov (2)
Also listed as General Literary Studies 243.
The department's introductory literature course. Emphasis on textual analysis
of selected major works of Gogol, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Chekhov,
and others. Conducted in English. Prerequisites: none. Majors: See statement
of major requirements. GREENE.
265 Modern Russian Literature: 20th Century (1) 4 credits+
Also listed as General Literary Studies 265. Continuation of Russian 243. Readings selected from the major works of Blok, Akhmatova, Mandelshtam, Pasternak, Kuzmin, Zamiatin, Nabokov, Bulgakov, Olesha, Babel, Solzhenitsyn, Aksyonov, Tolstaya, and others. Emphasis in discussions placed on textual analysis and theories of literary modernism. Conducted in English. Prerequisites: none. Majors: See statement of major requirements. STAFF.331 Readings in Russian Literature of the 19th Century (1) 4 credits
Advanced grammar combined with intensive reading of selected literary texts by major writers of the 19th century, including Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Chekhov. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisites: Russian 222 or permission of the instructor. ARMSTRONG.332 Readings in Russian Literature of the 20th Century (2) 4 credits
Further study of advanced grammar combined with intensive reading of selected literary texts by major writers of the 20th century, including modernist poets, and such prose writers as Bulgakov, Zamiatin, Olesha, Ilf and Petrov, Solshenitsyn, Trifonov, Aksyonov, and other selected recent authors. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisites: Russian 331 or permission of the instructor. GREENE.351 Dostoevsky (2) 4 credits+
Also listed as General Literary Studies 351. Dostoevsky's artistic growth from early short works to major novels; philosophical development within context and structure of the literary works, including The Double, Notes From The Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov. Conducted in English. Prerequisites: none. Majors: See statement of major requirements. MOHAN.361 Tolstoy (1) 4 credits+
Also listed as General Literary Studies 361. Tolstoy's artistic growth through the stages of the early autobiographical fiction, the major novels of the middle period, and the short works of his later life; spiritual development and crisis within context and structure of the literary works, including Childhood, War and Peace, Anna Karenina, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Conducted in English. Prerequisites: none. Majors: See statement of major requirements. MOHAN.495 Seminar in Russian Culture and Linguistics (1) 4 credits
A cultural and linguistic study of a selected Russian cultural phenomenon from the 19th or 20th century. Discussion may be centered around intellectual history, popular culture, a cultural period (e.g. The Silver Age) or analysis of an aspect of culture (theatre, rock, etc.). Conducted in Russian. Prerequisites: Russian 332 or permission of instructor. MOHAN.498 Seminar in Russian Literature and Linguistics (2) 4 credits
A literary and linguistic study of a major
novel of the 19th or 20th century (e.g. Lermontov's Hero of Our Time,
Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina,
Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Ilf and Petrov's The Twelve
Chairs, Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, a single author, a genre,
a literary period, or clear expression of student choice). Conducted in
Russian. Prerequisites: Russian 332 or permission of instructor. MOHAN.
Related Courses
History 241-242: Russian History I and II (1 and 2) 4 credits+, each semester
First semester: a general survey of Russian history to 1881, treating such topics as the development of Russian religious society, the rise of Muscovy, the emergence of Imperial Russia, the institution of serfdom, and the origins of revolutionary movements.Second semester: the evolution of Russia from an agrarian to an industrial society, emphasizing the nature of prerevolutionary society, the impact of the Revolution, the nature of Soviet society, and the continuities of Russian history. May be taken separately. Option of doing some reading in Russian. KAISER.
Political Science 273: Politics of Russia (2) 4 credits+
Analysis of the dynamics of Russia politics, beginnin with the historical background of communist rule in the Soviet Union. Focus on the years of reform under Gorbachev, and potential for the present political system. Prerequisites: Political Science 101. GREY
Native-Speaker Language Assistant
Each year the department sponsors a different language assistant from Russian. The assistant is usually a post-BA student who serves as an additional resource for students of Russian and depending on student interest, organizes extracurricular activities. The language assistant conducts Russian 200 (conversational practice) and runs the weekly Russian Language Lab, where student are able to come to do homework, consult with the native speaker, or just chat. Our language assistant also lives in Russian House. Our Assistant this year will be Ms. Elena Melnikova, who received her undergraduate degree at Penza State Pedagogical University, and who is currently working on an advanced degree at the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute.
Russian Table
A weekly lunch meeting in Cowles Dining Hall at the "Russkii stol" gives students and faculty members an opportunity to speak Russian in an informal setting. Students from all levels of instruction are encouraged to participate. This semester Russian Table takes place every Friday at noon in a Cowles PDR.
Russian House
In addition to the residence halls, 13 college-owned houses adjacent to the campus are used as student residences. Each houses seven to 15 students. Five houses are designated as language houses. Russian House is located at 1023 Park Street. Our language assistant, who lives in Russian House, provides a Russian-speaking atmosphere for students interested in pursuing Russian beyond the classroom.
Russian Language Lab
In addition to Russian Table, students can practice their Russian at the weekly Russian Language Lab, traditionally held every Thursday from 7:00-8:30 in ARH 227. Students who need help doing their homework, studying for exams, or who just want to chat are welcome to stop by on a walk-in basis.
Russian Film
Students are encouraged to make the most of the department's extensive collection of Russian film, one of the largest collections in the country. Expanded most recently by our Visiting Heath Professor Galina Aksenova, who taught a well-attended course on the history of Russian film in 1998, our collection covers the spectrum of Russian cinematography, from its beginnings in the silent film, to contemporary masterpieces, such as Bodrov's Academy Award-winning Burnt by the Sun. The Russian Department frequently organizes campus screenings of subtitled films, and Russian students often organize film evenings at Russian House.
Our faculty makes extensive use of the film collection in our language and literature offerings. Russian film also forms the centerpiece of the Fall 2000 Russian 495 Seminar, which will be taught by John Mohan.
View the AV Center's list of Russian and Eastern European films.
Multimedia and Technology Support
Multimedia Support Instruction at Grinnell is supported by the first Sony language lab in the nation. The department houses an extensive and growing film and laser disk collection of titles ranging from early cinema classics to contmporary documentaries. Classrooms are each equipped with a laser-disc/VCR/CD station. The College receives daily satellite broadcasts from Russia, which are adapted for classroom use in some courses. Films, videos and music complement various courses in the language and literature sequence. Munindra Khaund recently joined Grinnell's Instructional Multimedia Technical Support team. Munindra assists humanities faculty in integrating the latest technologies into their teaching.
Russian Artist-in-Residence
2000- 2001 will mark the second year of our Artist-in-Residence Program, which is supported by the Fund for Excellence. This program emphasizes our continuing efforts to provide students with a fuller understanding of Russian cultural traditions and enrich, in a cross-disciplinary fashion, other departments and artistic and literary programs. Students will recall that last year's Artist was visual artist and eminent writer Vladimir Voinovich, who worked with Russian seminar students and took part in a faculty-student symposium on "Humor in Russian Literature." This year's Artist-in-Residence will be Fazil' Abdulovich Iskander, one of the foremost contemporary Russian writers. Mr. Iskander will come for six weeks, immediately following Spring Break. Go to our NOVOSTI page for more information on Mr. Iskander's visit. This section is currently under construction; we will soon post a list of all our visitors over the last decade.
Student Educational Policy Committee
Each department at Grinnell has a Student Educational Policy Committee (SEPC), a group usually made up of Russian majors, that assists and participates in a number of departmental activities, including faculty reviews; faculty hiring; extracurricular events; and faculty-student communication.
Slavic Coffeehouse
An annual Spring event in the Russian Department is the Slavic Coffeehouse, which is co-sponsored by Russian and East European Studies (REES). Students meet at kitchens on campus and in professors' homes, and prepare a variety of exotic treats from the Slavic kitchen, to be sold with coffee and tea that evening in the Forum Coffeehouse. Musical entertainment is a frequent tradition of the Slavic Coffeehouse, and performers have ranged from Russian bards to classical musicians. Proceeds from the evening are used to fund an event for Russian House.
Russian Study Award
The frequent mention of the Russian Study Awards given at graduation each year requires an annotation. These awards are drawn from funds raised by three devoted graduates--DIANE FISHER PERKINSON '82, SHARON McKEE'82, and EMILY SILLIMAN '81. The purpose of the awards is to permit students to study or do internships in Russophone countries after graduation, when financial-aid from the college is no longer available.
Russian/REES Excursions
The Russian Department, often in conjunction with REES (Russian and East European Studies), organizes one or two day-long excursions per year to numerous area sites of interest, or to events in nearby metropolitan areas that are connected in some way to our academic program. Often these excursions are arranged in connection with first-year tutorials taught in the department, but are usually designed to include our majors and friends of the department as well. We have traveled to Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cedar Rapids, St. Louis, and other cities on numerous occasions to visit art exhibits, attend important plays, visit local ethic communities, or participate in scholarly conferences.
Go to the Russian/REES Excursions Page
This
page was created by Todd Armstrong
Last modified on September 25, 2000
