Global Arc

The course will focus on the interaction between the historical project of socialism and the medium of film in the context of the "Soviet experiment." It will examine the ways in which the changing notions of what socialism is or should be affect cinema on the level of artistic representation, as well as on the level of institutional structure (organization of film production, ideological controls, relationship with the audience, marketability, etc.). The course will survey prominent visual texts from the early days of the Soviet establishment in the 1920s to its final reincarnation during Gorbachev's perestroika period (late 1980s).

One is aware of Konstantin Stanislavsky's importance to Hollywood and Broadway's indebtedness to Mikhail Chekhov, but how well are we aware of the diversity of the tradition that sustained them? The present course offers a survey of 20th c. Russian non-conformist theater and drama (Mikhail Bulgakov, Daniil Kharms, Mikhail Kuzmin, Evgeny Zamiatin) as well as its theoretical foundation. A performance component is an integral part of this course.

In this course we will survey 19th and, especially, 20th century Polish literature. We will read selected texts of Polish literature, beginning with prose and ending with poetry. We will also see three film adaptations of Polish literary works by Andrzej Wajda. Students who are able can read in Polish, but all the readings will be available in English.

Explores Russian oral traditions and oral literary genres in English translation:Traditional life-cycle and seasonal rituals and songs associated with them; superstitions, charms, oral narrative poetry (byliny) and prose (skazki); chastushki, jokes; present-day popular culture; and relationships between folklore and literature. Focus on the role and meaning of Russian folklore as expressive culture and how it informs contemporary society.

This seminar explores representations of health and illness through the literary and the visual media. From death and dying to epidemics, from disability to care giving, we will examine how these universal conditions are conveyed through literary texts, public health campaign posters, graphic novels, paintings, illustrations, and photography. Most of the meetings will take place at the Princeton University Art Museum to engage in depth with the items in the collection. Students will have the option to submit creative projects for the midterm and the final assignments.

This course examines Soviet animation as a specific cultural phenomenon which tells of aesthetic, ideological, social, and psychological issues in the Soviet and post-Soviet countries. Topics to be discussed include Soviet political propaganda; national identity, gender, the influence of Disney cartoons and rock and roll and hippie cultures on the Soviet animation, "new lyricism" and computer animation. Students will continue developing higher-level Russian language skills in order to present and support their opinions, discuss and explain complex matters in detail, provide lengthy and coherent narrations. The course is conducted in Russian.

"Roma (Gypsies) in Eastern Europe" treats Romani history, cultural identity, folklore, music, religion, and representations in literature and film. Roma have been enslaved, targeted for annihilation, and persecuted for centuries. Yet they have repeatedly adapted and adjusted to the circumstances surrounding them, persisting as distinctive ethnic communities while simultaneously contributing to and forming part of the dominant worlds in which they live. This course offers novel perspectives on ethnic minorities and the dynamics of culture in Slavic and East European society.

A study of media informed by the idea of social revolution. We will consider how filmmakers, photographers, artists, and writers engaged with Marxist ideas in the wake of Russia's 1917 Revolution, and how they aimed to shape, influence, and involve new audiences in their political project. We will examine how the development of "new" media (radio, film, documentary) was informed by ideology, and compare/contrast this Soviet media with its Western counterparts. Topics to be addressed include propaganda and agitation; masses, classes, collectivities; ownership of media; and gender and political change.

This course will cover the life and works of one of the most important Russian authors of the twentieth century: Mikhail Bulgakov. Bulgakov's life, works, and legacy offer a novel look the history of Russian literature and the Soviet literary establishment. Over the semester, we will explore Bulgakov's theater, novels, short stories, and the adaptations of his work for the silver screen. We will laugh at the grotesque life of a country doctor ("A Young Doctor's Notebook"), marvel at the effects of science experiments run amok ("The Fatal Eggs"), and fly on broomsticks over Moscow on the way to the Devil's ball (Master and Margarita).

In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment a character says about St. Petersburg: "It's rare to find a place where so many murky, sharp and strange influences have their effect on human soul as in Petersburg." We will read Gogol and Dostoevsky's Petersburg stories, focusing on all kinds of influences the city has on its inhabitants: physical, psychological, emotional, intellectual, and moral. Additionally, we will explore Gogol's literary influence on Dostoevsky. The entire course is conducted in Russian and special emphasis is placed on active use of the language. All readings are in Russian. Prerequisite: RUS 208; for heritage speakers RUS 108