Course Description

My name is Dr. George Mitrevski. My office is in room 6048 of Haley Center. My office hours for this semetst will be M-W-F 8-9, 10-11 and by appointment. I want your experience with our department and this course to be a good one. This information has been prepared to outline what you can expect (and what will be expected of you) in this course.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is intended for students whose knowledge of Russia and its people is limited or non-existent. The course provides exposure to Russian culture from medieval times to the Revolution, as reflected in the fine arts and literature. Major emphasis will be given to geographic, social, artistic, spiritual and political forces in Russian culture. You will be introduced to major Russian contributions in painting, music, architecture, literature, religion, the folk tradition, and socio-political movements in their cultural setting. The course provides many valuable insights in the life and attitudes of Russian citizens today. Class lectures will be supplemented by frequent film, video and musical presentations.

READINGS: You will have a reading assignment virtually every day, and I expect you to have read the material BEFORE each class. Looking at the syllabus, you will note that some days you will have more reading than others. At the beginning of each week you should look at your reading assignments to see how much reading you have for that week, so that you may plan your assignment schedule accordingly. Remember to start reading the longer literary works few days before they are discussed in class. You will get much more out of the lecture if you come to class prepared. Study guides for every chapter in Land of the Firebird are provided online. I will provide you with a study guide for all other reading assignments. Always work with the questions in the guides as you do your readings. This is the best preparation for all tests.

TESTS: There will be a MIDTERM and a FINAL. The Final Exam will be comprehensive.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:

1. Attendance and participation in class discussions. (10%)
2. Midterm. (30%)
3. Paper (1,500 words). (15%)
4. Final. (45%