One semester/12 weekly sessions; H.S. credit 0.5 (History, Fine Arts, Humanities)
Text
Recommended Text: Susanne Massie. Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia (Hearttree Press, 1980).
A classic, readable, illustrated cultural history. You can find used copies priced quite reasonably on Amazon. It also is in many libraries, as it was a best-seller when it was first published. If you already have a Russian history, you may choose to use that as a general guide instead.
Keeping a Notebook
Russian history is full of colorful names and events. We recommend you track the flow of this material by whatever method works best for you: a notebook divided into sections for history, geography, art, music, terminology, etc., or perhaps note cards filed by topic. You may prefer keep notes on computer files. Whatever method you choose, it’s helpful to keep the information close at hand, where you can refer and add to it easily.
Russian Alphabet
What about “Russian”? Are we going to learn Russian? We won’t have time to learn Russian formally in one semester, but we will have regular exposure to the Cyrillic alphabet. I will provide exercises, and invite you to get more familiar with Russian names (in Cyrillic) and basic terms that are cognates (same roots, meaning same things in various languages).
You will find it surprisingly easy to familiarize yourself with the alphabet. Knowing the alphabet will open up the Russian language for future study.
Viewing & Listening
Part of the course requirement will involve viewing Russian art as well as video clips both as follow up to a class and in preparation for the next class. Also, there will be listening requirements with links that will take you directly to the music.
Students taking this course for high-school credit are required to do these assignments. Those taking the class for enrichment are strongly encouraged to do the assignments.
Testing
Interactive, self-graded quizzes will be provided. Students taking the course for credit will be expected to log their quiz grades.
There is also a midterm and final exam.
Syllabus
| Module 1 | Russia and the West | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Video 1 | |
| Unit 2 | Module 1 Gallery | |
| Unit 3 | Terms, Figures, Places | |
| Unit 4 | Exercises in the Cyrillic Alphabet | |
| Unit 5 | Assignment: Russia and the West | |
| Module 2 | Orthodox Music and Art | |
| Unit 1 | Features of Orthodoxy | |
| Unit 2 | Video 2 | |
| Unit 3 | Transliteration Practice 2 | |
| Unit 4 | Cyrillic Transliteration Practice: The Olympics | |
| Unit 5 | 2: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 6 | Assignment: Orthodox Singing | |
| Unit 7 | Quiz: Modules 1-2 | |
| Module 3 | The Riuriks | |
| Unit 1 | Video 3 | |
| Unit 2 | Riurik Gallery | |
| Unit 3 | Transliteration Practice 3 | |
| Unit 4 | 3: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 5 | Assignment: The Riuriks | |
| Module 4 | The Early Romanovs | |
| Unit 1 | Video 4 | |
| Unit 2 | Early Romanov Gallery | |
| Unit 3 | 4: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 4 | Assignment: Peter the Great | |
| Unit 5 | Quiz: Modules 3-4 | |
| Module 5 | The Tsarinas | |
| Unit 1 | Video 5 | |
| Unit 2 | 5: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Anna and Elizabeth | |
| Module 6 | Catherine the Great | |
| Unit 1 | Video 6 | |
| Unit 2 | 6: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Catherine the Great | |
| Unit 4 | Mid-Term Test | |
| Module 7 | Napoleonic Russia and Folk Art | |
| Unit 1 | Video 7 | |
| Unit 2 | 7: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Napoleonic Invasion and Folk Art | |
| Module 8 | Pushkin | |
| Unit 1 | Video 8 | |
| Unit 2 | 8: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Pushkin | |
| Unit 4 | Quiz: Modules 7-8 | |
| Module 9 | The Golden Age | |
| Unit 1 | Video 9 | |
| Unit 2 | 9: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: The Golden Age | |
| Unit 4 | Assignment: A Life for the Tsar | |
| Module 10 | Russian Realism | |
| Unit 1 | Video 10 | |
| Unit 2 | 10: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Russian Realism | |
| Unit 4 | Gallery: Vasily Surikov | |
| Unit 5 | Gallery: Aivazovsky | |
| Unit 6 | Gallery: Nikolay Ge | |
| Unit 7 | Gallery: Ilya Repin | |
| Unit 8 | Quiz: Modules 9-10 | |
| Module 11 | Final Flowering of Imperial Russia and the Ballet Russes | |
| Unit 1 | Video 11 | |
| Unit 2 | 11: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: Last Flowerings of Imperial Russia | |
| Module 12 | The End of Imperial Russia | |
| Unit 1 | Video 12 | |
| Unit 2 | 12: Terms, Events, Personages, Places | |
| Unit 3 | Assignment: The End of Imperial Russia | |
| Unit 4 | Review: Modules 7-12 | |
| Unit 5 | Final Test Review Sheet | |
| Unit 6 | Final Exam | |
| Unit 7 | Final Exam Afterword | |
| Unit 8 | Course Completion Survey |