Russ,East European,Eurasian St 210 - ENVIRO & ECOL IN RUSSIAN CULTR

Spring
2019
01
4.00
Thomas Roberts
TTh 03:00-04:20
Smith College
30478-S19
SEELYE 206
troberts@smith.edu
How does a culture conceptualize its natural environment in aesthetic, political, and even religious terms, and what does a landscape “mean” in this context? This interdisciplinary course explores how Russian writers, filmmakers, and artists have represented the vast territory comprising Imperial Russia, the USSR, and the Russian Federation, from the Enlightenment to present. In addition to considering how artistic production has reflected and shaped understanding of the Russian “anthropocene,” we will compare these works with cultural production of the Western tradition. The course also explores initiatives to legislate and transform the Russian environment, which often precipitated ecological and social disasters.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.