Click here for a current list of courses - Choose from SLA (Slavic), PLS (Polish), BCS (Bosnian Serbian Croatian), CZE (Czech), UKR (Ukrainian) and RUS (Russian).

BCS 101 Intermediate Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian I An introduction to BCS, the primary language of the former Yugoslavia (also called Serbo-Croatian), this course develops the four major language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Class time is devoted to mastering conversational skills, grammar explanations, oral drilling, and reading a variety of texts--popular writing, fiction, poetry, and expository prose. Covers the fundamentals of BCS grammar (verbal conjugations, aspect, the primary verbal tenses, and all cases); high-frequency vocabulary will be progressively learned and reinforced. M. Beissinger

PLS 101 Beginning Polish I  The first in a four-semester Polish language sequence, this course will provide a thorough introduction to this challenging language, while introducing students to the fascinating history and culture of Poland- with special emphasis on its rich literary tradition. Beginning with the basics of Polish grammar, we will build to the point where we can begin appreciating Polish poetry, prose, and songs in the original. M. Pettus

RUS 101 Beginner's Russian I After learning the Russian alphabet and handwriting in just a few days, we'll continue with daily lessons using original materials - each day covering a basic aspect of Russian grammar and building incrementally. Special emphasis will be placed on learning to express your own feelings and ideas in natural, idiomatic Russian, preparing you to engage with Russian speakers and real Russian texts, and delving into Russian culture, history, music, and literature as we go, learning the language in its own unique and incredibly rich cultural context. The year will end with a sampling of Soviet prose and poetry in the original. M. Pettus

RUS 103 Russian for Heritage Speakers  This course is intended for students with a Russian-speaking family background who seek to acquire or improve their Russian language skills, as well as to learn more about Russian/Soviet culture and history. All linguistic concepts will be taught through authentic materials, including literary texts, films, and the current Russian Internet sites. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze and construct texts of various genres and participate actively in most informal and some formal exchanges on a broad variety of cultural topics. Students who complete this course in combination with RUS 108 satisfy the Language Requirement. S. Korshunova

RUS 105 Intermediate Russian I The course undertakes a thorough review of grammar and aims to develop oral and written language skills. The reading module opens with 20th century children's poems and short stories, which will help students to expand everyday vocabulary and to practice conversation. Later in the semester, we will read and discuss literary texts by Pushkin, Turgenev, and Chekhov. Through these works the students will familiarize themselves with Russian customs, traditions, and beliefs. Readings and discussions are in Russian. K. Blank

RUS 207 Advanced Russian Reading and Conversation I  An expansion of skills in Russian grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Work with three films made after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which have won many national and international awards. The class discussion will center around a broad spectrum of cultural, social, historical, and literary topics. K. Blank

RUS 405 Advanced Russian Through Reading This course approaches advanced-level Russian through reading and translating Russian literary texts. Emphasis is placed primarily on reading and comprehension skills, serving students who wish to pursue independent research in Russian. All readings are in Russian. S. Korshunova

SLA 205 Nightmare Narratives: Terrifying Dreams in Russian Literature and Beyond The nightmare is familiar to all of us, but we rarely reflect on its significance. This course will investigate the cultural, social, psychological and aesthetic levels of meaning of the nightmare by taking a close look at a wide array of its depictions in literature, taking us from German Romanticism through Russian Realism all the way to 1930s Persia. Our main focus will be on Slavic depictions of the nightmare in the works of such writers as Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev and Kharms, but we will also attempt to understand them as part of a wider dialogue with other literary and cultural traditions, including the psychological. E. Faraghi

SLA 209 Catastrophic Literary Imagination: Ukraine 1917-2022 The course offers an overview of the Ukrainian literature in terms of catastrophic thinking and representation of highly traumatic events of the twentieth century, such as war, revolution, Holocaust, Famine, and nuclear disaster. The aim of the course is to examine how trauma influences the literary and cultural imagination and to consider the role of testimony, documentary and afiction in presenting catastrophic events. Among the topics to be discussed are fiction and nonfiction as a means of representing catastrophe, the role of apocalyptic imagination, and transgenerational effects of trauma. T. Hunderova

SLA 219 Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky: Introduction to the Great Russian Novel This is an introductory course, conducted entirely in English, on the classics of nineteenth-century Russian literature. No previous knowledge of Russian language, literature, culture, or history is expected. The focus of the course is on close readings of individual works. At the same time, we will pay close attention to the way a distinctively Russian national tradition takes shape, in which writers consciously respond to their predecessors. All of these works have a firm position in the Russian cultural memory, and they have significantly contributed to Russian national identity. A. Cohle/L. Matthews/M. Wachtel

SLA 313 Russian Religious Philosophy Born of debates between Westernizers and Slavophiles, Russia's astounding religious-philosophical flowering ran parallel to that in literature, and lived on in Europe and North America in the wake of the Revolution. These thinkers confronted modernity in ways that were both radically innovative, yet firmly grounded in the centuries-old traditions of Eastern Orthodox theology. Topics to be discussed include: personhood, freedom, and evil; iconography and artistic creativity; the transformative power of love; tensions between knowledge and faith; and ethics in a universe in which every person and event is "once-occurrent." M. Pettus

SLA 321 Petersburg: Cultural Myth and Literary Text In this language/literature course we will read works by Pushkin, Gogol, and Dostoevsky, as well as poems by 20th century authors, in which St. Petersburg plays a central role. We will trace the dualities and paradoxes of Petersburg's cultural myth and will discuss the links that unite these literary works into a single "Petersburg Text of Russian Literature" (the idea introduced by V. Toporov). Readings, discussions, oral presentations, and written papers in Russian. Special emphasis is placed on active use of language and expansion of vocabulary. K. Blank

SLA 401 Junior Methods Seminar This Junior Seminar prepares students to undertake independent research in the field of Slavic languages and literatures. By encountering a variety of methodologies and approaches to texts and cultural phenomena, participants develop the tools and experience to examine and pursue a topic or research question of their choosing in the Junior Independent Work and beyond. Over the course of the semester students also get acquainted with library resources and citation styles. E. Fratto

SLA 416 Dostoevsky The goal of the course is to acquaint students with the evolution of Dostoevsky's writings. A multi-faceted approach is used for coming to grips with the works. The focus is on stylistic, ethical, religious, philosophical, and political dimensions of his art as well as on ways in which Dostoevsky fits into the cultural milieu of his time. Both non-Slavic Department and Departmental students are welcome. E. Chances

UKR 101 Beginner's Ukrainian I  This is an introductory course aimed at students with no previous background in Ukrainian. During the course, students acquire effective communication skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and develop a deeper appreciation and knowledge of Ukrainian customs and traditions. To enhance cultural awareness, students are presented with authentic audio-visual materials, literary texts, and art objects. Upon completion, students will have the ability to read concise, original Ukrainian texts and speak about basic topics such as school, family life, and travel. A. Cohle

UKR 105 Intermediate Ukrainian I  This course is intended to further develop proficiency in spoken and written Ukrainian with a focus on intercultural communicative competence. The objective of the course is to allow students to be able to express themselves more effectively and accurately in everyday situations. By the end of the semester, students will be able to use basic grammatical structures and common vocabulary accurately and consistently in speaking and in writing. The course incorporates a variety of activities including dialogues, reading texts, role plays, translations, interviews, and discussion of topics.A. Cohle

For more information: https://ua.princeton.edu/academic-units/department-slavic-languages-and-literatures