An interdisciplinary course in contemporary history and culture
In Russia culture and history have always been deeply intertwined. This course will examine the evolution of Russian society and culture in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods, covering such events and topics as perestroika, the putsch of 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the emergence of the new Russian State, the beginnings of a capitalist society, and leaders Gorbachev, Eltsyn, Putin and Medvedev.

We will analyze the shift in some popular and elite cultural genres - literature, film, music, video - as a reflection of changing societal norms and values. Students should come away from the course with an understanding of the extraordinary shifts that have taken place in Russian society, culture, economics, and life in general since the beginning of the 1980s.