RUSS

207 Instructor: Dasha Prykhodko

Winter Session 2018 Term 2 Email: dariyap@mail.ubc.ca
Time: Mon Wed Fri 11:00 -12:00 Office: Buchanan Tower 902
Location: Buch B 210 Office Hours: M, W, F
12-12:30 pm/by appointment

Twentieth-Century Russian Writers in Translation
Revolution and Experimentation, Terror and Laughter, Life and Art.

The 20th century in Russia was a period of unprecedented political transformation and radical artistic
experimentation. In this introductory course, we will explore the dynamic and highly innovative literary
and cultural scene of 20th-century Russia against the turbulent historical events. We will become
acquainted with major artistic trends such as Symbolism, Acmeism, Futurism, and Socialist Realism, and
such prominent Russian writers as Gorky, Blok, Akhmatova, Zamyatin, Bulgakov, Tolstaya,
Petrushevskaya, Voinovich and others.
No prerequisites are required. All course material is in English.
Classes will use a combination of lecture and discussion formats.

Grade breakdown options:

Option 1 Option 2

Short quizzes (5) 30% Short quizzes (5) 45%
Reflection paper 20% Reflection paper
Final paper 45% Final paper 50%
Attendance 5% Attendance 5%


There is no participation mark but the instructor reserves the right to honour above-average
participation with an overall mark increase.

Required Texts (available at the UBC Bookstore):

Russ 207 Course Reader CR = Course Reader
Yevgeny Zamyatin, We
Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

If you wish to quote another person’s work, you must indicate this in your writing by setting off the
quoted words with quotation marks, and citing your source in your bibliography.

An assignment containing plagiarism will receive a failing grade. Students are responsible for knowing
policies pertaining to academic integrity available on the website:
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/Vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959

To prevent plagiarism, you will use the TurnItIn Services for your Paper/s.
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PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

Week 2
Jan 7 Video: “Russia – Land of the Tsars” (2003). A new type of Hero. Maxim Gorky
Jan 9 A new type of Hero. Maxim Gorky “Chelkash” (1895) CR – discussion
Jan 11 Maxim Gorky – cont.

Week 3
Jan 14 “Silver Age” and Pre-Revolutionary Artistic Visions: Symbolism, Acmeism, etc.
Jan 16 “Silver Age” poets
Jan 18 Quiz 1 (on the previous lectures and readings); Lecture: Silver Age poets – cont.

Week 4
Jan 21 Life after the Revolution. Alexander Blok, “The Twelve” (1918) CR - discussion
Jan 23 Isaak Babel, Red Cavalry stories (1926) CR - discussion
Jan 25 The “New Soviet Man”. Evgeniy Zamyatin

Week 5
Jan 28 Evgeniy Zamyatin, We (1921) - discussion (read as much as you can by now)
Jan 30 The “Great Terror”
Feb 1 Quiz 2 (including We); We (1921) - discussion

Week 6
Feb 4 Optional Essay on We is due – bring to class; “Silver Age” poets – cont.
Feb 6 Socialist Realism
Feb 8 Mikhail Bulgakov The New Society/ Phantasmagoric Reality

Week 7
Feb 11 Mikhail Bulgakov, Master and Margarita (1928-1940) (Сh. 1-6) - discussion
Feb 13 Sergey Yesenin
Feb 15 Mikhail Bulgakov, Master and Margarita (1928-1940) (Ch. 7-10) - discussion

Week 8 Midterm Break (February 18-22)

Week 9
Feb 25 Mikhail Bulgakov, Master and Margarita (Ch 11-18) - discussion
Feb 27 Anna Akhmatova
Mar 1 Mikhail Bulgakov, Master and Margarita (Ch. 19-23) - discussion

Week 10
Mar 4 Quiz 3 (including M&M); Mikhail Bulgakov, M&M (Ch 24-end) - discussion
Mar 6 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Mar 8 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, One Day of Ivan Denisovich (1962) - discussion

Week 11
Mar 11 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, One Day of Ivan Denisovich (1962) - discussion
Mar 13 Quiz 4 (including One Day); One Day of Ivan Denisovich (1962) - discussion
Mar 15 Thaws and Freezes. Life under Socialism
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Week 12
Mar 18 Nobels and Dissidents
Mar 20 Sergei Dovlatov, The Compromise (1981) CR - discussion
Mar 22 Women and society


Week 13
Mar 25 Ludmila Petrushevskaya, “Our Crowd” (1983) CR - discussion
Mar 27 Humour. Vladimir Voinovich - pdf on Canvas
Mar 29 Tatyana Tolstaya, “Poet and the Muse” (1983) CR - discussion

Week 14
Apr 1 Quiz 5 (on the previous 2.5 weeks); Question/Answer session
Apr 3 Question/Answer session




Final Paper - due on April 14 (don’t be late: for late submissions, there is a standard 2% mark deduction
for every late day)
To prevent plagiarism, you will use the TurnItIn Services for your Final Paper.


Final paper requirements:
– 6-8 pages (depending on your Grading Option), Times New Roman 12, double-spaced
– Include your own reflections + some critical thinking + some basic research
– Text quotations to support your thoughts
– Bibliography