CLS 170 - Russian History and Culture

1. Identify and analyze specific information as it relates to inferences about history, culture, and human behavior in Eastern Europe in general and Russia in particular.
   • Define the terms, “Eastern Europe,” “Russia,” and “Soviet Union,” and explain their historical and sociocultural origins and their limitations.
   • Define the term, “culture,” and explain how the concept of culture applies to Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.
   • Explain why it is important to understand the history and culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Identify and describe the main regions of Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Russia.
   • Provide specific examples of the Russia’s historical development and its influence on human behavior in the contemporary era.
2. Describe the diverse sociocultural and demographic attributes of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Describe the primary sociocultural and demographic characteristics of Russia and the former Soviet Union, including those relating to race and ethnicity, nationality, religion, language, urban-rural populations, major industries, and occupations.
   • Trace the early sociocultural and ethno-national origins of Russia, including Scandinavian, Slavic, indigenous, and Asian influences, and their relationship to contemporary Russia.
   • Describe the sociocultural origins and evolution of the Russian Orthodox Church, and its main roles in contemporary Russia.
   • Identify important ethno-national and religious minority groups of Russia and the surrounding region and discuss the impact of past and present discriminatory policies and perceptions upon them.
   • Identify significant examples of traditional Russian norms and values, including those relating to political authority, marriage and family relations, gender roles, friendship bonds and social networks, recreation and leisure, and economic relations.
   • Provide examples of how the media, arts and humanities, popular culture, social movements, and science and technology, have influenced the sociopolitical evolution of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
3. Explain how geography and the natural environment have impacted the sociocultural, economic, and political development of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Describe the physical geography of Russia and the former Soviet Union, and how it varies by region and nation-state.
   • Identify important cities, rivers, mountain ranges, and other geographic points of interest in Russia and the former Soviet Union and describe the influence of such places in Russian history and contemporary Russian society.
   • Provide examples of social problems and political issues in contemporary Russia and the former Soviet Union that are related to the natural environment.
   • Analyze the impact of geography and the natural environment on the socioeconomic development of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Evaluate the impact of geography and the natural environment on the sociopolitical development of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
4. Describe and evaluate the historical evolution of Russia, the former Russian Empire, and the former Soviet Union, in the early, medieval, and modern eras.
   • Describe the early origins and trace the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and political commonalities and development of Russian civilization.
   • Trace the historical development of Russian Tsarist autocracy, with a focus on specific Russian tsars and their contestations for power, reforms, and reactions to social upheaval and political rivals.
   • Evaluate the impact of Tsarism on the cultural, economic, and political development of Russia and the former Russian Empire.
   • Evaluate the impact of the Russian Empire on the cultural, economic, and political development of the region.
   • Analyze the impact of autocracy, imperialism, and revolution on the cultural, economic, and political development of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
5. Identify and describe major events leading to the rise and fall of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.
   • Identify and describe major events, ideas, practices and social actors, contributing to the rise and fall of the Russian Empire.
   • Identify and describe major events, ideas, practices, and social actors, contributing to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.
   • Describe and evaluate the sociopolitical role of major social institutions (including social classes, the military, social movements, political parties, and interest groups) in Russian history and the contemporary era.
   • Evaluate the possible reasons why Russian (and Soviet) hegemony has existed for centuries in the region of Eastern Europe.
   • Explain why Russia has been prone to authoritarian and totalitarian regimes throughout most of its history.
6. Explain how modern events and phenomena, such as Marxism-Leninism, Russian Revolution of 1917, Stalinism, Cold War, perestroika, Fall of Berlin Wall, and Russian Revolution of 1991, have impacted and influenced Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Explain how the ideology and practices of Marxism-Leninism and the related Communist Party have impacted and influenced the history and culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Explain how the Russian Revolution of 1917 has impacted and influenced the history and culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Explain how the rise of Stalinism and totalitarianism have impacted and influenced the history and culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
   • Explain how the Cold War has impacted and influenced the history and culture of Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.
   • Explain how the Fall of Communism (including perestroika, Fall of Berlin Wall, and Russian Revolution of 1991) has impacted and influenced the history and culture of Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe,
7. Summarize and analyze the main political and economic systems in Russian history and the present era.
   • Describe the main political and economic systems of Tsarist Russia.
   • Distinguish between the major reforms and policies (social, political and economic changes) that occurred in Russia under particular tsars.
   • Describe the main political and economic systems of the former Soviet Union.
   • Distinguish between the major reforms and policies (social, political and economic changes) that occurred in Russia under particular Communist Party leaders.
   • Compare and contrast the main political and economic systems of Tsarist Russia to those of both the former Soviet Union and present-day (post-communist) Russia.