| Unit name | Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | RUSS20066 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Coates |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Russian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In 1917, a centuries-old authoritarian Empire that refused to adapt to the times finally collapsed at the hands of a modern revolutionary movement that embodied the popular will. Or did it? This is just one of a multitude of ways the Russian Revolution has been defined over the years, and by no means is it the best one. More than a century later, we are still asking what exactly the Russian Revolution was: how many revolutions actually took place in Russia during this period? How did revolution come about and why? How long did it last and when, exactly, did it even happen?
This unit explores the surprising range of revolutions that were reshaping Russia during the final decades of the tsarist period: some of them violently and others much more quietly; some of them at the tsar’s behest, and others to his detriment; some of them secular, modernist, or European in origin and aim, others conservative, Orthodox, and distinctly Russian. On this unit, students will encounter first-hand the competing pushes and pulls of this turbulent and exciting period in Russian culture and thought, when writers and artists, tsars and priests, and of course revolutionaries sought to refashion Russia for a new era and bring to life their vision of an ideal future. Through a range of types of texts (written and visual), students will encounter for themselves the political and artistic vibrancy of the period, so that by the end of the unit, they will be prepared to tell others just how diverse Russia’s revolutionary period truly was.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures, and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.
Formative assessments where completion is required to award credit:
1 x 10-minute group presentation, testing ILOs 1, 4, and 5.
Summative assessments:
1 x 1500-word summative individual report (40%) testing ILOs 1 and 4.
1 x 2500-word research essay (60%) testing ILOs 1-4.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. RUSS20066).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
