Over the course of the semester we will read a broad range of Russian texts – primarily short stories and short lyric poems – from the nineteenth century to the present day. Our principal goal will be to practise the close reading and critical analysis of literary works in Russian with a view to advancing your reading, speaking and writing skills. Critical ideas and vocabulary will be slowly introduced to encourage class debate as well as writing in Russian.

Writers to be read include Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Chekhov, Akhmatova, Blok, Nabokov, Zoshchenko, Bulgakov, Pelevin. All readings will be provided online.

Prerequisite: Russian 103A (which may be taken concurrently).