54
Slavic Studies
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
APPLICATIVE SKILLS
Ability to place each specific phenomenon of Russian literary history and culture within a broader historical and cultural context.
The course aims to provide students with the methodologies of linguistic, philological, and literary analysis necessary for the following activities: reading, translation, and textual analysis of key documents of Russian literature from the period covered.
INDEPENDENT JUDGEMENT
The course aims to enable students to independently gather and process data and content, using the essential tools of the Russian and, more broadly, Slavic linguistic-cultural area (major works, bibliographic repertories, periodicals, specialized websites); to demonstrate critical discernment and informed evaluation on issues related to the interaction between Slavic cultures; to develop specific skills in the critical analysis of literary texts, identifying their main historical, social, cultural, and philosophical features; and to reflect on social, scientific, or ethical themes connected to Russian history and culture.
The in-class analysis of numerous literary passages in the original language – appropriately adapted – contributes to fostering students’ independent judgement and their ability to formulate interpretive hypotheses.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The objective of the course is to enable students to communicate with native speakers of Russian and with individuals from Russian cultural backgrounds; to express concepts, ideas, and critical evaluations related to their specific Russian studies competences, particularly on literary themes placed within a broader cultural and intercultural context; and to communicate the content of Russian history and culture with appropriate terminology and clarity in both academic and educational-popular contexts.
Close interaction with Russian language instructors supports students in acquiring appropriate vocabulary and developing the necessary communication skills.
LEARNING SKILLS
By the end of the course, students will have developed the learning abilities necessary to independently undertake further advanced studies consistent with their training in Russian studies. They will also be able to consult Russian literature appropriately and extract relevant information from comparative bibliographies, as well as effectively navigate Russian-language databases and other online resources.
Course Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites are required, except for language skills (Russian), which can be acquired during the first semester.
Teaching Methods
Lectures are the main teaching method, complemented by extensive text analysis conducted in a seminar-style format. All classes are recorded, and the audio files are uploaded to the corresponding TEAMS classroom, available to students who were unable to attend one or more lessons.
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of an oral test only. Each exam begins with the random selection of one of the texts in Russian analyzed in class: the student must be able to recognize, contextualize, and interpret it. This is followed by questions on history and the history of literature, related to topics covered during the lessons or discussed in the textbook.
Language of the exam: Russian and Italian.
Texts
G. Carpi, History of Russian Literature. Vol. I: From Peter the Great to the October Revolution, Rome 2010, 2016 (Chapters 1–7. In Italian);
- All the excerpts analyzed and discussed in class (in Russian);
- 5 texts of your choice from the following (in Italian, Russian or English):
- A. N. Radishchev, Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow;
- A. S. Pushkin, The Captain’s Daughter;
- ID., Eugene Onegin;
- N. V. Gogol, Petersburg Tales;
- ID., Dead Souls;
- M. Y. Lermontov, A Hero of Our Time;
- N. G. Chernyshevsky, What Is to Be Done?;
- I. S. Turgenev, Fathers and Sons;
- L. N. Tolstoy, War and Peace;
- ID., Anna Karenina;
- F. M. Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment;
- ID., The Idiot;
- ID., The Demons;
- ID., The Brothers Karamazov.
Contents
A good knowledge of the current institutional structure of the Russian Federation. General overview of the country's history. A good knowledge of the history of Russian literature from its origins to the 1860s. Ability to comment on the texts analyzed in class.
Familiarity with the tools of textual and literary analysis from a comparative perspective and with regard to the interaction between Russian culture and other major world cultures.
Course Language
Italian and Russian