- Inter-faculty Studies in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Computer Science
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Mathematics
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Computer Science
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Mathematics
Russia Between East and West: Understanding Russians With the Help of Reportage” 3700-AL-RBEW-OG
Russia is an important player in today’s world. There is an increasing need for expertise in Russian culture, politics, and society in a variety of fields, in both national and international arenas. At the same time, there is lack of understanding of what Russia really is today and what Russians are like? Where is this country on the line between East and West? How to interpret the changes that took place after the break-up of the Soviet Union? We will explore the myth of the “Great Patriotic War”, as well as phenomenon of Stalin’s unbreakable popularity in today’s Russia. We will also discuss the change of the soviet stance, the notion of homo sovieticus and its applicability today. We will discuss the role of political and intellectual elites in the crucial moments of Russian History and the rise of oligarchs. During the course we will also elaborate on the current state of the Russian society: public mood, protests, conformism, attitude to the powerful, propaganda effectiveness.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
- broad overview of the basic principles governing the past, the present and the future of Russia with a focus on the culture and national psychology of Russians vis-à-vis Western Europeans
- acquaintance with the key texts on today’s
- ability to analyze the discourse on the discussed issue and present student’s own opinion.
Bibliography
Texts:
Aleksandr Radishchev “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”
Marquis de Custine “Letters from Russia”
Boris Pasternak “Doctor Zhyvago”
Varlam Shalamov „Kolyma Tales”.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn „The Gulag Archipelago”
Svetlana Alexievich „Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Svetlana Alexievich „Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War”
Ryszard Kapuściński „Imperium”
Jacek Hugo-Bader „White Fever: A Journey to the Frozen Heart of Siberia”
Peter Pomerantsev „Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia”
Anne Garrels „Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia”.
Movies:
Lenin. The Train.
Doctor Zhyvago
East/West
The Death of Stalin
Leviathan
“Vladimir Putin and His Game - BBC Documentary 2018”
Dear Comrades
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
- Inter-faculty Studies in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Computer Science
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Mathematics
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Computer Science
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Mathematics
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: