Russia and East-Central Europe

(4 Credits)

The current anti-Western turn in the Russian politics and the violent Russian reaction to the European aspirations of Ukraine provides a useful context for exploration of the profound diversity of the Eastern half of the European continent which until recently has been sometimes perceived as a monolith called "Eastern Europe". This course aims at helping students to understand the distinctiveness of Russia's cultural, social and political traditions vis-à-vis not only Western Europe, but also vis-à-vis the countries of East-Central Europe which until recently constituted a part of the Soviet sphere of influence locked behind the iron curtain.