Russia's History From the Middle Ages Towards the 20th Century

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:4.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:29:00

Study Course Information
Course Code:		PZK_182			LQF level:		Level 7
Credit Points:		5.00			ECTS:		7.50
Branch of Science:		International Politics; Politics			Target Audience:		Political Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Jānis Šiliņš
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		10	Lecture Length (academic hours)			2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		20
Classes (count)		10	Class Length (academic hours)			2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		20
Total Contact Hours									40
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		7	Lecture Length (academic hours)			2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		14
Classes (count)		7	Class Length (academic hours)			2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		14
Total Contact Hours									28
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Basic knowledge of Russian, European and World history.
Objective:
To provide knowledge about Russian historical development; to improve analytical skills of the students and develop ability to work with historical sources. To strengthen not only the knowledge of Russian history, but also to promote the acquisition and application of research methods characteristic of historical science, especially when working with archival materials. Along with learning and understanding past events, students will also strengthen their ability to anticipate future developments and at least the role of past events in the development of present and future processes.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic				Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Geographical and Cultural Borders of Russian Historical Space				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Between Empire and Republic: History of Russian Political Organization				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Russian Economic History				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	History of Russian Modernization Projects from Mikhail Fyodorovich to Vladimir Putin				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	History of Political Repression in Russia				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	History of Orthodox Church and Religious Identities in Russia				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
7	Revolutionary Russia: from Smuta to Great Criminal Revolution				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	Russian Military History				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
9	History of Liberalism, Socialism and Fascism in Russia				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
10	Search for Russian National Idea: West, East or “The Third Way”?				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
11	Alexander Dugin’s “The Foundations of Geopolitics”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Lev Gumilyov’s “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of Earth”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
13	Lev Tolstoy’s “History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev”, analysis of the poem and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	Nikolai Berdyaev’s “Christianity and Anti-semitism” and Georgy Florovsky’s “The Ways of Russian Theology”, analysis of the works and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
16	Vladimir Bortko’s “Heart of a Dog”, analysis of the movie and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
17	Vladimir Lenin’s “What Is to Be Done?” analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
18	Nikolai Nekrasov’s “Who is Happy in Russia”, analysis of the poem and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
19	Evgeny Messner’s “Mutiny, or the Name of the Third Worl War”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
20	Aleksei Balabanov’s “Cargo 200”, analysis of the movie and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic				Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Geographical and Cultural Borders of Russian Historical Space				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Between Empire and Republic: History of Russian Political Organization				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Russian Economic History				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	History of Russian Modernization Projects from Mikhail Fyodorovich to Vladimir Putin				Lectures		1.00	auditorium
5	History of Political Repression in Russia				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
6	History of Orthodox Church and Religious Identities in Russia				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
7	Revolutionary Russia: from Smuta to Great Criminal Revolution				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
8	Russian Military History				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
9	History of Liberalism, Socialism and Fascism in Russia				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
10	Search for Russian National Idea: West, East or “The Third Way”?				Lectures		0.50	auditorium
11	Alexander Dugin’s “The Foundations of Geopolitics”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Lev Gumilyov’s “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of Earth”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
13	Lev Tolstoy’s “History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev”, analysis of the poem and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	Nikolai Berdyaev’s “Christianity and Anti-semitism” and Georgy Florovsky’s “The Ways of Russian Theology”, analysis of the works and discussion of essays				Classes		1.00	auditorium
15	Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
16	Vladimir Bortko’s “Heart of a Dog”, analysis of the movie and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
17	Vladimir Lenin’s “What Is to Be Done?” analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
18	Nikolai Nekrasov’s “Who is Happy in Russia”, analysis of the poem and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
19	Evgeny Messner’s “Mutiny, or the Name of the Third Worl War”, analysis of the work and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
20	Aleksei Balabanov’s “Cargo 200”, analysis of the movie and discussion of essays				Classes		0.50	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
During the module students will prepare for the seminars, read mandatory literature and prepare a report and a presentation. • The aim of a seminar is to develop students' ability to argue and present their opinion in a consistent and logical manner; to promote activity; to test students’ knowledge of the topic and materials in question. • The aim of the individual report is to develop the ability to identify the key issue of the topic; to identify and evaluate alternative arguments and views; to offer an opinion, explaining and arguing why this particular opinion is better than any other. The report should compare all possible alternatives, considering all their strengths and weaknesses. • Another goal is to develop skills to independently study the situation and the problem, give it an assessment and be able to find solutions.
Assessment Criteria:
Attendance – 10% Activity and preparedness during seminars – 40% Final report and presentation – 50%
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam (Written)
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Using in-depth knowledge of Russian history gained in the course, students will describe the connection of specific current events through their historical development. Students will interpret current historical events to understand the present and model future development scenarios, including Russia's influence on neighboring regions, especially the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia.
Skills:		Working in a group, students will select, read and critically evaluate scientific literature, justify their choice, interpretation and analysis of literature to group members. Students will formulate an opinion on contradictory historical events, explain and defend their opinion in a multicultural group, developing argumentation skills. When developing individual and group works, students will in person and in writing identify, compare and evaluate alternative arguments and opinions, formulate, explain and argue their views on historical works and historical events, combining the relevance of their assumptions to further historical and current events.
Competencies:		Students will develop a report based on interdisciplinary scientific literature, analyzing various issues of Russian history. By collaborating in a multicultural group, students will debate and engage in dialogue about contradictory historical events, accepting diversity of views and interpretations. Students will assess the interdisciplinary nature of complex problems and combine research results and methods from different disciplines in analyzing complex historical events.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Acton, E. Rethinking the Russian Revolution. London, 1990.
2	Barnett, V. A History of Russian Economic Thought. London, New York: Routledge, 2005.
3	Bellamy, C. Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War: a Modern History. London: Pan Books, 2008.
4	Berdyaev N. Christianity and Anti-semitism, 1938. Available from: https://archive.org/details/christianityanda027552mbp/page/…
5	Berdyaev N. The Russian Idea. Boston: Beacon Press, 1962.
6	Boterbloem, K. A History of Russia and Its Empire: from Mikhail Romanov to Vladimir Putin. Lanham: Rowman&Littlefiled, 2018.
7	Bremer, T. Cross and Kremlin: a Brief History of the Orthodox Church in Russia. Grand Rapids, Cambridhe: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2013.
8	Butler, R. Stalin’s Instruments of Terror. London: Amber Books, 2015.
9	Carleton, G. Russia: the Story of War. Cambridge, London: The Belknap Press of Harvard, 2017.
10	Dennison, T. The Institutional Framework of Russian Serfdom. Cambridhe, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
11	Dmytryshyn, B.D. Russian Expansion to the Pacific, 1580 – 1700: A Historipgraphical Review. Available from: https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/509…
12	Dugin, A. The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia, 1997.
13	Etkind A. Internal Colonization: Russia’s Imperial Experience. Cambridge: Polity, 2011.
14	Fedor J. Russia and the Cult of State Security: the Chekist Tradition from Lenin to Putin. Abingdon, New York: Routledge, 2011.
15	Figes O. A People’s Tragedy: the Russian Revolution 1891–1924. London: Jonathan Cape, 1996.
16	Fitzpatrick, S., Rabinowitch, A., Stites, R. (eds) Russia in the Era of NEP: Explorations in Soviet Society and Culture. Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1991.
17	Florovsky, G. The Ways of Russian Theology, 1937. Available from: http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/florovsky_ways.html
18	Geifman, A. Thou Shalt Kill: Revolutionary Terrorism in Russia, 1894–1917. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993.
19	Gregory, P.R. (ed.) Behind the Facade of Stalin’s Command Economy: Evidence from the Soviet State and Party Archives. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 2001.
20	Gumilyov, L. Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of Earth, 1978. Available from: http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/English/ebe0.htm
21	Kangaspuro M., Smith J. (eds) Modernisation is Russia since 1900. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society, 2006.
22	Kenworthy, S.M. The Heart of Russia: Trinity-Sergius, Monasticism, and Society after 1825. Washington, New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
23	Kivelson, V.A., Suny, R.G. Russia’s Empires. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.
24	Laruelle, M. Russian Eurasianism: an Ideology of Empire. Washington, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
25	Lenin, V. What Is to Be Done? 1902. Available from: https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1901/witbd/
26	Leonard, C.S. Agrarian Reform in Russia: the Road from Serfdom. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
27	Leontovitsch, V. The History of Liberalism in Russia. University of Pitsburgh Press, 2012.
28	Longworth, P. Russia’s Empires: Their Rise and Fall: From Prehistory to Putin. London: John Murray, 2005.
29	McDaniel, T. The Agony of the Russian Idea. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996.
30	Messner, E. Mutiny, or the Name of the Third Worl War, Buenos Aires, 1960.
31	Michelson, P.L., Kornblatt, J.D. (eds) Thinking Orthodox in Modern Russia. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2014.
32	Morrison A. Russia’s Colonial Allergy. Eurasianet, Dec 19, 2016. Available from: https://eurasianet.org/russias-colonial-allergy
33	Nekrasov, N. Who is Happy in Russia, 1869–1877.
34	Pipes, R. Russian Conservatism and its Critics: a Study in Political Culture. New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 2005.
35	Pipes R. The Russian Revolution. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 1990.
36	Pravilova, E. A Public Empire: Property and the Quest for the Common Good in Imperial Russia. Rinceton, Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014.
37	Schrader, A.M. Languages of the Lash: Corporal Punishment and Identity in Imperial Russia. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2002.
38	Solzhenitsyn, A. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, 1962. Available from: http://www.davar.net/EXTRACTS/FICTION/ONE-DAY.HTM
39	Taylor, B.D. Politics and the Russian Army: Civil-Military Relations, 1689–2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
40	Tolstoy, L. History of the Russian State from Gostomysl to Timashev. 1883.
41	Tsygankov A.P. The Strong State in Russia. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
42	Ulam, A. Communists: The Intellectual and Political History of the Triumph of Communism in Russia. New York: Harvard University Press, 1998.
43	Venturi, F. Roots of Revolution: a History of the Populist and Socialist Movements in Ninenteenth Century Russia. New York: Grosset&Dunlap, 1966.