Putin, Russia and the New Conflict with the West: Reading Modern Russian Culture

The collapse of the USSR in 1991 was widely hailed in the West as a triumph of democracy over totalitarianism, and for some it even signaled the end of history as such. Today however it would seem history has returned with a vengeance, and there is now talk of a new Cold War, with Russia once again serving in its previous role as the enemy. This course will seek to understand this apparent reversal of vectors from within Russian culture, through analysis of literary works, films, television, and social media. No knowledge of Russian culture required. In English.