Russian Studies
Russian Studies at Davidson
The Russian Studies curriculum offers important opportunities to study Russian language, history, politics, and literature at this pivotal moment when Russia has unleashed a war of aggression against Ukraine that has upended the post WWII political order and sparked long-overdue examinations of Russian linguistic and cultural colonialism in Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
The U.S. State Department designates Russian a Critical Need language, underscoring the need to train a new generation of Russia experts after decades of neglect since the fall of the Soviet Union. Our graduates enter a world that needs their service in foreign policy, diplomacy, national security, energy, business, NGOs, publishing, and the arts.
We offer a regular sequence of Russian language courses, from beginning through advanced, and a range of surveys and seminars in Russian literature and Russian cultural history. Our students also take courses toward the Russian minor and majors from other departments and programs, including Political Science and Global Literary Theory. Outside the classroom, students have opportunities to engage with Russian through workshops, invited speakers, weekly Russian table, Russian club events, and volunteering in the community to support Ukrainian refugees.
Student Spotlight Kate Spencer '24
"Russian Studies has led me to more opportunities than I could have imagined when I signed up for Russian 101 in my first year. I have been able to travel abroad in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, work an internship in Washington, D.C., and begin a senior thesis. Pairing Russian Studies with my political science major has given me a unique focus in my studies that has inspired me to develop a unique skillset of Russian language, regional studies, and political science."
