Courses

It is highly recommended that students taking the basic first- and second-year Russian courses (RUSS 101, 102, 201, 202)  also take the corresponding one-credit conversation courses (RUSS 111, 112, 211, 212) which are coordinated with them, and which provide practice and reinforcement of the material in the base course.  Students who take both together usually are more successful at learning Russian.

FALL 2025 Courses 

RUSSIAN 101 RUSSIAN LEVEL I
 A beginning course in Russian which builds basic skills in speaking, oral comprehension, reading, and writing in Russian through class participation, structured conversation, and short writing assignments. 
Instructor:  Kuleshova, Deliya 

RUSSIAN 201: RUSSIAN III 
An intermediate-level course designed to develop higher skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Russian, as well as in intercultural competence and communication through further work on conversational and writing ability. Students work individually and in small groups using authentic reading and audio materials.
Instructor:  Dr. Gabrielov, Amina

RUSSIAN 301: RUSSIAN LEVEL V
Continued development of Russian speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities, using material dealing primarily with everyday life and civilization in the Soviet Union from a variety of sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, TV, recent literature, etc.). Conducted primarily in Russian.
Instructor:  Dr. Gabrielov, Amina

RUSSIAN 311: RUSSIAN CONVERSATION I
Guided practice in conversation on a variety of assigned and spontaneous topics to enhance communicative competence and develop oral and aural abilities. Small group discussions in Russian on various topics. May be taken alone or concurrently with RUSS 30100 or above. May be repeated for credit.
Instructor: Bell, Lyudmila

RUSSIAN 331: POST-SOVIET RUSSIAN CINEMA
Viewing and analysis of significant post-Soviet Russian films, providing an understanding of the nuanced sociopolitical situation in contemporary Russia. Evolution of Russian cinema in the post-Soviet era, its place in world cinema, and its relation to cultural, political, and social trends. The course builds an understanding of the Russian political, historical, and cultural context through an exploration of cinematic artistry. It presents and analyzes films that depict aspects of contemporary Russia, covering subjects from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the rise and hold on power of Vladimir Putin, through cinematic adaptation of literary and theatrical works. Conducted in English. Knowledge of Russian is not required.
Instructor: 

RUSSIAN 342: SOVIET LITERATURE AND BEYOND
Selected Russian poetry, prose, and drama of the 20th century in historical and cultural context. Students will read and discuss major authors and texts and will write critical essays on literary topics. Conducted largely in Russian.
Instructor:  Dr. Gabrielova, Amina

RUSSIAN 401: RUSSIAN LEVEL VII
Advanced work on development of Russian speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities, focusing on materials dealing primarily with culture and the arts in Russia and the Soviet Union. Conducted primarily in Russian.
Instructor:   Prof. Lyanda-Geller, Olga

RUSSIAN 411: ADVANCED RUSSIAN CONVERSATION I 
Guided practice in conversation on a variety of advanced assigned and spontaneous topics to enhance communicative competence and develop oral and aural abilities. Small group discussions in Russian on various topics. May be taken alone or concurrently with RUSS 40100 or above. May be repeated for credit.  
Instructor: Bell, Lyudmila

RUSSIAN 561: STRUCTURE OF RUSSIAN I: PHONOLOGY AND SYNTAX
This course treats the sound system and sentence structure of Russian, dealing with the structural pattern on various levels (phonetic, phonemic, syntactic) from various points of view. One weekly class is devoted to theoretical issues affecting Russian phonology and syntax. Credit will not be given for both RUSS 36100 and 56100.
Instructor: Prof. Channon, Robert