Russian (B.A.)

Czech, Polish, Romanian, and Ukrainian Courses

CZEC 110a, Elementary Czech I  Karen von Kunes

A comprehensive introduction to Czech for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Essentials of grammar, with emphasis on oral proficiency, reading, writing, and listening comprehension. Online articles, annotated excerpts from Capek's R.U.R., Hasek's Svejk, Kundera's Joke and Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Havel's Private View. Audio- and videotapes.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

CZEC 120b, Elementary Czech II  Karen von Kunes

Continuation of CZEC 110. After CZEC 110 or equivalent.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

CZEC 130a, Intermediate Czech  Karen von Kunes

Continuation of CZEC 120. Grammar and usage, with emphasis on idiomatic expressions, syntax, and stylistics. Readings in modern Czech history, prose, and poetry; discussion of economic, political, and social issues. After CZEC 120 or equivalent.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 11:35am-12:25pm

CZEC 140b, Advanced Czech  Karen von Kunes

Continuation of CZEC 130. Emphasis on writing skills and spoken literary Czech. After CZEC 130 or equivalent.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 11:35am-12:25pm

PLSH 110a, Elementary Polish I  Krystyna Illakowicz

A comprehensive introduction to elementary Polish grammar and conversation, with emphasis on spontaneous oral expression. Reading of original texts, including poetry. Use of video materials.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

PLSH 120b, Elementary Polish II  Krystyna Illakowicz

Continuation of PLSH 110. After PLSH 110 or equivalent.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

PLSH 130a, Intermediate Polish I  Krystyna Illakowicz

A reading and conversation course conducted in Polish. Systematic review of grammar; practice in speaking and composition; reading of selected texts, including poetry. Use of video materials. After PLSH 120 or equivalent.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

PLSH 140b, Intermediate Polish II  Krystyna Illakowicz

Continuation of PLSH 130. After PLSH 130 or equivalent.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

* PLSH 150a, Advanced Polish  Krystyna Illakowicz

Improvement of high-level language skills through reading, comprehension, discussion, and writing. Focus on the study of language through major literary and cultural texts, as well as through film and other media. Exploration of major historical and cultural themes. Prerequisite: PLSH 140 or equivalent.  L5
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

* ROMN 110a, Elementary Romanian I  Staff

The first half of a two-term introduction to Romanian language, grammar, and cultural literacy centered around the theme of life in Bucharest. Topics, vocabulary, and grammar lessons based on everyday linguistic interactions in the city. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
MW 2:10pm-4pm

* ROMN 120b, Elementary Romanian II  Staff

The second half of a two-term introduction to Romanian language, grammar, and cultural literacy centered around the theme of life in Bucharest. Topics, vocabulary, and grammar lessons based on everyday linguistic interactions in the city. Prerequisite: ROMN 110. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
MW 2:10pm-4pm

* ROMN 130a, Intermediate Romanian I  Staff

Continuation of ROMN 120, with attention to all four language skills and to cultural literacy. Students reach B2 level in compliance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Prerequisite: ROMN 120 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
MW 4:10pm-6pm

* ROMN 140b, Intermediate Romanian II  Staff

Continuation of ROMN 130, with attention to all four language skills and to cultural literacy. Students reach C1 level in compliance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
MW 4:10pm-6pm

* UKRN 110a, Elementary Ukrainian I  Staff

The first half of a two-term introduction to Ukrainian for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Emphasis on speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. Topics, vocabulary, and grammar lessons based on everyday linguistic interactions. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* UKRN 120b, Elementary Ukrainian II  Staff

The second half of a two-term introduction to Ukrainian for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Emphasis on speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. Topics, vocabulary, and grammar lessons based on everyday linguistic interactions. Prerequisite: UKRN 110. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L2  1½ Course cr
HTBA

* UKRN 140b, Intermediate Ukrainian II  Staff

Continued review and reinforcement of grammar fundamentals and of core vocabulary pertaining to common aspects of daily life. Special attention to verbal aspect and verbs of motion. Emphasis on further development of oral and written communication skills on topics such as the self, family, studies and leisure, travel, and meals. UKRN 130 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

Unless otherwise noted, all Group A courses are conducted in Russian.

RUSS 110a, First-Year Russian I  Julia Titus

A video-based course designed to develop all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Use of dialogues, games, and role playing. In addition to readings in the textbook, students read original short stories and learn Russian songs and poems. Oral and written examinations.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

RUSS 120b, First-Year Russian II  Staff

Continuation of RUSS 110. After RUSS 110 or equivalent.  L2  RP  1½ Course cr
HTBA

RUSS 125a, Intensive Elementary Russian  Constantine Muravnik

An intensive course that covers in one term the material taught in RUSS 110 and 120. For students of superior linguistic ability. Study of Russian grammar; practice in conversation, reading, and composition. Recommended for prospective majors in Russian and in Russian and East European Studies.  L1, L2  RP  2 Course cr
HTBA

RUSS 130a, Second-Year Russian I  Irina Dolgova

A course to improve functional competence in all four language skills (speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension). Audio activities, for use both in the classroom and independently, are designed to help students improve their listening comprehension skills and pronunciation. Lexical and grammatical materials are thematically based. After RUSS 120 or equivalent.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

RUSS 140b, Second-Year Russian II  Irina Dolgova

Continuation of RUSS 130. After RUSS 130 or equivalent.  L4  RP  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 10:30am-11:20am

RUSS 145b, Intensive Intermediate Russian  Constantine Muravnik

A continuation of RUSS 125 that covers in one term the material taught in RUSS 130 and 140. For students of superior linguistic ability. Prerequisite: RUSS 125.  L3, L4  RP  2 Course cr
HTBA

RUSS 150a, Third-Year Russian I  Constantine Muravnik

Intensive practice in conversation and composition accompanied by review and refinement of grammar. Readings from nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, selected readings in Russian history and current events, and videotapes and films are used as the basis of structured conversation, composition, and grammatical exercises. Oral and written examinations. Audiovisual work in the Center for Language Study required. After RUSS 140 or 145 or equivalent.  L5  RP  1½ Course cr
MWF 11:35am-12:25pm

RUSS 151b, Third-Year Russian II  Constantine Muravnik

Continuation of RUSS 150. After RUSS 150 or equivalent.  L5  RP  1½ Course cr
MWF 11:35am-12:50pm

RUSS 160a, Fourth-Year Russian I  Irina Dolgova

Discussion topics include Russian culture, literature, and self-identity; the old and new capitals of Russia, the cultural impact of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Russia at war. Readings from mass media, textbooks, and classic and modern literature. Use of video materials. After RUSS 151 or equivalent.  L5
MWF 11:35am-12:25pm

RUSS 161b, Fourth-Year Russian II  Irina Dolgova

Continuation of RUSS 160. After RUSS 160 or equivalent.  L5
MWF 11:35am-12:25pm

* RUSS 172a, Russian History through Literature and Film  Irina Dolgova

Study of important events in Russian history, from the medieval times to the present, through authentic reading materials in various genres and through feature and documentary films. The course is designed to advance students’ speaking proficiency in Russian and to develop their reading, listening, and writing skills. Texts include Russian fairy tales; fragments from The Primary Chronicles; A. Tolstoy’s Peter I; D. Merezhkovsky’s Antichrist; N. Eidelman’s Decembrists; P. Chaadaev’s Philosophical Letters; N. Leskov’s Enchanted Wanderer (fragments); and I. Goncharov’s Oblomov (fragments). Films include A. Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev; N. Mikhalkov’s Several Days from Oblomov’s Life; A. Askoldov’s Comissar; Todorovsky’s Stiliagi; K. Muratova’s Asthenic Syndrome; and A. Zviagintsev’s Loveless. All written assignments, texts, and discussions are in Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 142 or 151, or permission of instructor.  L5, HU
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* RUSS 178b, The Short Story in Russian  Julia Titus

Chronological study of celebrated Russian short stories. Authors include Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Nabokov, and Tolstaya. Readings and discussion in Russian. Prerequisite: RUSS 140, 145, or equivalent.  L5, HU
MF 11:35am-12:50pm

* RUSS 179b, The Grotesque in Victor Pelevin  Constantine Muravnik

Novels and short stories by a contemporary Russian writer, Victor Pelevin. Focus on Pelevin's major novel, Chapaev i Pustota, the theory of the grotesque, and on the relationship between imagination and reality. Diverse conceptions of the grotesque; the ethical and aesthetic significance of the conflict between the real and the fantastic; Pelevin's place in the specifically Russian grotesque tradition of Gogol and Nabokov. Prerequisite: RUSS 142, 151 or permission of instructor.  L5, HU  RP
MW 1pm-2:15pm

The courses in this group, conducted in English, are open to all Yale College students.

* CZEC 301b / LITR 220b / RSEE 300b, Milan Kundera: The Czech Novelist and French Thinker  Karen von Kunes

Close reading of Kundera's novels, with analysis of his aesthetics and artistic development. Relationships to French, German, and Spanish literatures and to history, philosophy, music, and art. Topics include paradoxes of public and private life, the irrational in erotic behavior, the duality of body and soul, the interplay of imagination and reality, the function of literary metaphor, and the art of composition. Readings and discussion in English.  HU  Tr
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* PLSH 248b / THST 370b, Polish Theater and Its Traditions  Krystyna Illakowicz

Exploration of the rebellious, defiant, and explosive nature of Polish theater, including ways in which theater has challenged, ridiculed, dissected, and disabled oppressive political power. Polish experimental and absurdist traditions that resulted from a merger of the artistic and the political; environmental and community traditions of the Reduta Theatre; Polish-American theater connections. Includes attendance at live theater events as well as meetings with Polish theater groups and actors.  HU  Tr
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* RUSS 228a / RLST 390a, Russian Religious Culture in Thought and Practice  Harvey Goldblatt

Examination of the Russian Religious Culture through the centuries, from the origins of an Old Rus´ spiritual civilization in the 11th century to the emergence of post-Soviet literature and art forms in the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Representative works in literature and the visual arts, which deal with both elite and popular culture as well as religious and secular modes of discourse, are chosen from both old Russian bookish culture to the new Russian cultural trends that have their origins in the seventeenth century. All works are examined against a broad comparative background to illustrate the variant and invariants in the long history of Russian religious culture. Special attention is devoted to (1) diverse interpretive approaches and methodological perspectives, (2) traditional and innovative theories of literary and artistic expression, and (3) the connections between cultural activity and ideological trends. All readings and discussions are in English.  HU
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* RUSS 253a, Masterpieces of Russian Literature II  Staff

A survey of major writers and literary movements, focusing on the intersection of art and revolution in twentieth-century Russian literature. The Symbolists and Decadents at the end of the nineteenth century; the reception of the 1917 Revolution by Russian writers in the 1920s; the formation of Stalinist literary orthodoxy and reactions against it; contemporary literary rebellions against the political and artistic legacies of the past. Works by Chekhov, Bely, Babel, Akhmatova, Bulgakov, Pasternak, and Pelevin. Readings and discussion in English.  HU  Tr
MW 1pm-2:15pm

RUSS 254a / LITR 245a / RSEE 254a, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky  Molly Brunson

Close reading of major novels by two of Russia's greatest authors. Focus on the interrelations of theme, form, and literary-cultural context. Readings and discussion in English.  HU  Tr
TTh 1:30pm-2:20pm

RUSS 260b / LITR 202b, Nabokov and World Literature  Marijeta Bozovic

Vladimir Nabokov's writings explored in the context of his life story and of the structures and institutions of literary life in Russian émigré circles. Themes of exile, memory, and nostalgia; hybrid cultural identities and cosmopolitan elites; language and bilingualism; the aims and aesthetics of émigré and diasporic modernism in novels and other media. Additional readings from works of world literature inspired and influenced by Nabokov. Readings and discussion in English.  WR, HU
TTh 2:30pm-3:20pm

RUSS 312b / HUMS 255b / RSEE 312b, Tolstoy's War and Peace  Edyta Bojanowska

A study of Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece War and Peace (1865-1869) about Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia, in philosophical, historical, and political contexts. All readings and class discussions in English.  WR, HU  Tr
MW 9:25am-10:15am