PROGRAM IN RUSSIAN STUDIES

120 Humanities Office Building II; (949) 824-5433
Dragan Kujundzic, Director

Faculty

Guy de Mallac, Ph.D. Cornell University, Professor Emeritus of Russian (modern Russian literature, peace studies, philosophy of nonviolence, Tolstoy's thought, Gandhi's thought, religious studies, Russian intellectual thought, Pasternak's life and work)

Michael A. Green, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Professor Emeritus of Russian (eighteenth-century Russian theatre and literary theory, Pushkin, Chekhov, Kuzmin, Russian Symbolist theater, cabaret theatre, Russian literature and theater of the 1920s)

Dragan Kujundzic, Ph.D. University of Southern California, Director of Russian Studies and Associate Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature (Russian and Slavic literatures; Russian film; formalism and Bakhtin studies; French, German, and American philosophy and critical theory; modernism)

Victorina Lefebvre, Ph.D. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lecturer (methods of teaching, comparative study of Soviet culture, Russian language and literature)

Lynn Mally, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Department Chair of Classics and Professor of History and Classics (modern Russian and Soviet history)

Spanning both Europe and Asia, Russia is one of the world's dominant political entities. Its rich cultural traditions have enhanced world literature, theater, art, and dance. As the world's first socialist state, it became a major political rival of the United States after the Second World War. In the past decade, Russians have abandoned their socialist system and are now in the process of making a rocky transition to capitalism and a multi-party system. Although Russia lost sizeable amounts of territory in this transition, the Russian language now serves as the lingua franca throughout many areas formerly controlled by the Soviet Union.

While the demand for specialists in various sectors of government has eased, relationships between our countries at other levels of society are growing more active and business opportunities are exciting and rewarding. Other areas in which the need for Russian language competence is evident right now include trade, environmental protection, social services, law, medicine, and technology.

All students in Russian language courses are encouraged to take part in the UC Education Abroad Program and spend a portion of their junior or senior year studying in Russia. Additional information is available in the Center for International Education section of this Catalogue.

The Russian Studies minor is a multidisciplinary curriculum combining the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Social Ecology. It is designed to introduce students to the rich history and culture of Russia and provide them with the intellectual and linguistic tools necessary for sustained engagement with this area of the world.

Requirements for the Minor

Russian 1A-B-C, 2A-B-C, 50 (three different topics); 16 units of upper-division courses selected from the following: Russian 140, 150, 199, appropriate Comparative Literature courses, History 124A, 124B, 190 (when topics are related to Russia), Political Science 154F (cross-listed with Anthropology 136D), and 159C. (A maximum of four units may be chosen from the following courses devoted in part to Russian themes: History 126A, 126B, 126C, 158A, Political Science 154G, and Social Ecology E113.)

Residence Requirement for the Minor: At least four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.

Courses in Russian

LOWER-DIVISION

1A-B-C Fundamentals of the Russian Language (5-5-5) F, W, S. Focuses on reading, comprehension, basic composition, and conversation skills, and gives the student an initial exposure to the Russian cultural scene.

2A-B-C Second-Year Language Study (5-5-5) F, W, S. Students read simple passages from contemporary Russian literary texts and newspapers. Development of oral skills and exposure to Russian culture continue. Prerequisites: Russian 1A-B-C. (2A: VI)

50 Russian Culture (4) F, W, S. Study of varied topics in Russian culture, area studies, and society, both in the present and in historical perspective. Topics are not normally repeated for a two-year period. May be taken four times for credit as topics vary. (IV, VII-B)

97 Fundamentals of Russian (with Emphasis on Reading) (4). Designed primarily for students interested in acquiring a solid reading knowledge of Russian, and to facilitate the understanding and translating of Russian texts dealing with a variety of disciplines. Not open to Russian Studies minors. Does not serve as prerequisite for any higher-level Russian courses or fulfill any undergraduate foreign language requirement.

99 Special Studies Russian (1 to 5). Prerequisite: consultation with instructor necessary prior to enrollment.

UPPER-DIVISION

140 Topics in Russian Literary Theory (4). Examines the work of individual theorists and schools of literary theory in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-B)

150 Topics in Russian Literature (4) F. Examines major Russian writers and important themes in Russian literature from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Taught in English translation. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-B)

198 Directed Group Study (4) F, W, S. Group independent study under direct faculty supervision. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be taken two times for credit.

199 Independent Study (1 to 4) F, W, S. Independent study under direct faculty supervision. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be taken two times for credit.