Russian Culture: Weeks 1-5

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RUSN 2303
Index of web resources

Schedule of the Readings from the Textbook and Course Materials

General links on Russian culture and History

Week One *--Russia's Geography/Language*
Links: CIA Factbook on Russia (US Factbook for comparison) Lecture Notes The Varangians and the founding of Rus Optional: Russian pagan gods and another theory on the origin of the term Rus

--Kievan Russia/The Orthodox Church

Yaroslav the Wise

Model of Original St. Sophia

Links:

A brief overview of early Russian history

The Igor Tale Password protected. Translation by Jack Haney and Eric Dahl. This and all other password protected material from the course site of Dan Waugh of the University of Washington. (Also found in the course materials, although this translation is better.)

Lecture Notes

The House of Riurik

Map of Kiev, 10th-13th Centuries

Chronology of Kievan Russia with links

Christian imagery and symbolism of Cathedral of St. Sophia. Text optional. Images recommended.

Cathedral of St. Sophia Fairly detailed. Text optional. Password protected.

Materials also found in the course packet:

The Pouchenie of Vladimir Monomakh (c.1100)

Optional:

The Story of Kiev's Founding

Kievan art Password protected.

Russkaia Pravda

Translators' Introduction to "The Igor Tale" Password protected.

Jack Haney's Commentary to "The Igor Tale" Password protected.

"The Lay of Igor's Raid" A prose translation of "The Igor Tale"

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Week Two

*--Orthodoxy*		Boris and Gleb	Intercession on the Nerl	Rublev's Trinity
Links: The Martyrdom of Boris and Gleb Illarion's Sermon on Law and Grace (1050?) Some Features of the Russian Orthodox Church Materials also found in the course packet: Russia's Conversion to Christianity Optional: What to Expect when you Visit an Orthodox Church (This is a church sponsored site, so be prepared for proselytization. Nevertheless, there are good brief explanations of Orthodox practices here. ) Conversion to Christianity. Fairly detailed; password protected. Orthodox prayers
*--Icons*	Angel w/ Golden Hair (Kiev)	St. Nicholas (Novgorod)	Christ's Desent into Hell (Pskov)	Madonna w/ Child (Moscow)
Links: About icons Icons Icons index Iconostasis in Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk

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Week Three

--The Mongols and the Emergence of Moscow

Links:

Lecture Notes

The Mongols and the Emergence of Moscow

The Life of Sergius of Radonezh (Although this material is also found in the packet, this should be easier to read.)

Holy Trinity Monastery

Moscow, the Third Rome-Filofei

View of the Moscow Kremlin from across the River Moskva

Another View of the Moscow Kremlin from across the Moskva

The "Savior" Gate and Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

Optional:

A virtual tour of Moscow's Kremlin palaces

Mongol Page

The Rise of Muscovy

--Muscovite Russia

Links:

Ivan III-The Great

Ivan IV (the Terrible)

Materials also found in the course packet:

Excerpts from the Correspondence of Ivan the Terrible with Prince Kurbskii

Optional:

Alfred Rambaud on Ivan III

More on Ivan the Terrible (With a heavy emphasis on his bad side)

*--Muscovite Art, Architecture, and Culture*
Links: Russian Church Architecture Pictures of Muscovite Architecture Russian Folk Tales Please use the links to read the following tales: Father Frost, Frog Princess, The Golden Fish, Alyonushka, The Fire Bird, and Ilya of Murom. The Tale of Ivan and the Gray Wolf Images from Russian Folk Tales The Lubok Materials also found in the course packet: The Domostroi The Ulozhenie: The Law Code of 1649 Optional: Pictures of Russia to Explore on your own. Images provide by Theodore Taranovksi and Daniel Waugh of the University of Washington.

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Week Four

--Novgorod and Pskov

Links:

Novgorod

Nice pictures of Novgorod.

St. Sophia's in Novgorod

Another view of St. Sophia's in Novgorod

Pskov

Optional:

The Architectural Landmarks of Novgorod

--The Time of Troubles/
Schism in the Russian
Orthodox Church

Links:

Boris Godunov

The Time of Troubles

Old Believers

An account of the punishment of Avvakum

Vasilii Surokov's "Boyarina Morozova"

Optional:

A paper on Avvakum's "Life"

--Peter the Great

Links:

Class Notes

Russian History from 1689-1917

The House of Romanov

Peter the Great

Monument to Peter I in Peter and Paul Fortress

Optional:

More on Peter the Great

On Peter's relationship with his son Aleksei (Alexis)

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Week Five

--St. Petersburg
East meets West

Links:

Short History of St. Petersburg Explore the links, too.

Links to images of St. Petersburg

Explore the links above on your own (especially in "Album 1," but be sure to look at pictures of the following: "The Bronze Horseman," The Winter Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress, The Admiralty Tower, Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Nevsky Prospect, White Nights, and The Neva River.

Russia and St. Petersburg under Elizabeth

Russian Authors on St. Petersburg

Savior on the Blood. Muscovite style architecture in St. Petersburg.

Smolny Cathedral.

Optional:

Virtual Tour of St. Petersburg

Another Virtual Tour of St. Petersburg

--The Russian "Enlightenment" of the 1700s.

Links:
Lecture notes on "The Rise of Intellectuals in Russia"

Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-65) Very brief description.

Portrait of Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin (1743-1816)

Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev (1749-1802)

Excerpt from Catherine the Great's Decree of Radishchev's Sentence

Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin (1744 or 45-1792)

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin (1766-1826)

Eighteenth Century Art

Optional:

Excerpt from Karamzin's Letters of a Russian Traveler

The European Enlightment

Lomonosov

Radishchev

Karamzin

--Catherine the Great

Links:

Catherine the Great

Russia and St. Petersburg under Catherine the Great

Portraits of Catherine the Great

Optional:

Catherine II (A more detailed biography)

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First Midterm

Tutorial Questions for the midterm

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