Russian Studies

Why study Russian? Why not study Russian? You will master the alphabet in the first week of class. More importantly, the study of Russian language, literature, and culture brings you into contact with a vast, resource-rich area of the world that has always been of paramount importance in global affairs, first as a Eurasian empire under the Tsars, then as a 20th-century superpower called the Soviet Union, and today as a still-transforming, powerful Russian Republic. Within the liberal arts curriculum, a focus on Russian Studies provides the best of both worlds—the beauty and philosophical richness of great literature, music, and art, along with the practical career advantages of knowing a "strategic" language for government jobs, international law and business, and global health organizations.

At the University of Richmond, you can begin your study of Russian with absolutely no prior knowledge, in a non-intensive course sequence that allows your schedule to accommodate your other courses and sports. Once you get started, the interdisciplinary Russian Studies major and minor program provides you with the most valuable skills in today's global marketplace: critical thinking and writing skills, cross-cultural perspective, and more in-depth knowledge of the cultural and social patterns that have emerged from an area that defines itself as the crossroad between East and West. Russian Studies majors complete nine units of coursework distributed between language and area studies; minors must complete five courses. All students are strongly encouraged to study abroad on UR summer and semester programs in St. Petersburg. You should also consider studying abroad in Siberia and Central Asia.