In this course we will study the Russian city, analyzing the nexus of physical geography, climate, natural resources, ethnography, history, commerce, politics and culture on the development of urban centers in Russia. The study of Moscow and St. Petersburg will occupy much of our attention in this course, but we will also examine Russia’s medieval cities (“the Golden Ring”), as well as cities in Siberia and the Far East. We will read works from the disciplines of geography, history, anthropology, and sociology, as well as works of fiction; we will also view Russian films in which a city (or the city) plays an important role. Note: Class conducted in Russian. Readings, papers and tests in Russian.