COSEM-UA 116 - Russia’s Multicultural Empire

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

From the 16th century to the present, "Russia" has been an empire-a state that spread its power over different peoples, with different religious commitments, different laws and customs, and different histories. This seminar explores the qualities of Russia's kind of empire. What held the vast territories and populations, ruled by tsars and later by communists, together? Why has Russia not disintegrated or been torn apart by multiple wars among its many ethnic groups since 1991? (Chechnya is an exception to the quite peaceful breakup of the USSR into 15 states, all of them multiethnic.) We take a historical look at these questions, examining both how Russian leaders ruled their many populations and how people living on the terrain of a succession of Russian empires-the Grand Princedom of Muscovy, imperial Russia, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation-have imagined their relations with each other and with these states. Our sources include historians' studies, literature, and documents of many types: games, maps, laws, and films. Each student has the chance to investigate a particular imperial situation, and we work together to understand the origins, habits, and effects of Russia's empires of difference.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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