Introduction to the Russian Studies Program

The purpose of the Russian Studies Program is to offer students, through its academic major and co-curricular offerings, an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to studying Russian civilizaton. Though occupying more territory than any other nation, Russia has traditionally been opaque to the outsider -- a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been open to the rest of the world as never before. Its cultural heritage dating back a thousand years is reviving and evolving further and can be freely studied. Russia is also a society with enormous potential undergoing rapid and radical change.  For all of these reasons, students must be prepared to understand and interact with Russia on many levels. Based on the premise that students ought to experience Russia directly in order to understand it well, the Russian Studies Program encourages study in Russia. Almost every Russian Studies major has studied for at least one term in Russia, mainly in St. Petersburg or Moscow.

 
The Russian Studies Program has been designed to provide the theoretical and practical background needed for either post-graduate study in a number of fields or for successful pursuit of a career immediately upon graduation. Many students combine the Russian Studies major with other career-oriented majors. For the exceptional student, there is also an honors program requiring a thesis based upon original research. Recent graduates of the program have followed a wide variety of career paths. Several are working on doctoral degrees in Slavic languages and linguistics, law, and politics; one has worked for a private firm in St. Petersburg; another served as a consultant to the Russian Duma; yet another worked for the European Union in Riga.

 
The Russian Studies curriculum is described in detail in the Russian Studies major. The co-curricular features of the Russian Studies program include: a highly developed multi-media language center, Russian library collections for student and faculty research, daily television transmission from Russia, weekly Russian-language lunches, and Russian film and guest-lecture series.

 
The Russian Studies program is enhanced by the presence on campus of native Russian students. In each year since 1988, at least one Russian student has studied at Washington and Lee. At present several native speakers of Russian are enrolled at W&L. 

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