Winter Quarter 2027
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Catalog Descriptions
Language Courses
- RUS 002 Elementary Russian | Liliana Avramenko
- RUS 005 Intermediate Russian | Jekaterina Galmant
RUS 005 is designed as a continuation of RUS 004 and promotes pronunciation and grammar, as well as the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The course aims to expand the oral and written communication skills acquired in earlier classes and to broaden students’ understanding of the cultures of the Russian-speaking world. Grammatical concepts are reviewed and expanded. Students will be exposed to aspects of Russian culture and literature via music, movies, and written texts. Topics include, but are not limited to, daily routine, housing, hobbies, movies and theater, and music. Students will participate in various classroom activities, including small groups and pair work, and oral presentations to give them ample opportunities to practice Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 004.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
- RUS 101B Advanced Russian | Liliana Avramenko
Continuation of RUS 101A. Topics in Russian grammar for the advanced student. Reading and discussion of journalistic texts and classic and contemporary literature. Conversational exercises utilizing literary and colloquial variants of current Russian speech.
Prerequisite(s): RUS 101A or consent of instructor.
General Education: Arts & Humanities (AH); World Cultures (WC).
- RUS 103 Literary Translation | Jekaterina Galmant
What happens when a literary voice crosses into another language? In this hands-on course, students will learn to translate Russian poetry, prose, song lyrics, and other literary texts into English while exploring the distinctive voices of twentieth-century Russian literature and culture. Through close reading, translation workshops, and comparison of published translations, students will develop strategies for rendering meaning, style, voice, rhythm, humor, irony, idiom, and cultural context in English. We will work with both canonical and lesser-known writers and cultural voices, moving from the Russian avant-garde and Soviet literature to postwar poetry, song, and rock culture. The course emphasizes the practice of translation: drafting, revising, discussing, and defending translation choices. Prerequisite: RUS 101C or consent of instructor.
RUS 134 Humor & Comedy in Russian Culture | Jenny Kaminer
Taught in English
- Russian culture is more than grim snowy landscapes and old bearded men pondering philosophical questions! This course will introduce students to some of the greatest—and funniest—works of Russian humor and comedy from the 19th century to the present day. We will read works by classic authors such as Nikolai Gogol and Anton Chekhov, as well as by well-known Soviet satirists such as Mikhail Zoshchenko and Mikhail Bulgakov. We will also view several films from the Soviet period, including a musical comedy from the 1930s that was Joseph Stalin’s favorite film. Taught in English, no knowledge of Russian required.
