Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Border Crossings: Word & Image in Twentieth- and Twenty-first-century Russian Culture
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Modern Languages
Module Code	09 34929
Module Lead	Isobel Palmer
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Few historians would neglect the role played by Russia and the Soviet Union in global politics and the course of twentieth-century history. Yet Russian and Soviet culture’s influence on Western culture during this same period often remains confined to discussions of “soft power” and the ideological battlegrounds of the Cold War. This module focuses instead on the multiple areas of productive interaction and exchange between Russian/Soviet and Western (in particular, British) culture over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Combining detailed examination of some of Russian culture’s major artistic movements, themes, and formal innovations with consideration of the multiple processes of (re)translation, imitation, and adaptation involved in the international circulation of culture, we will ask 1) when, how, and why Russian culture has resonated with Western artists and audiences; 2) what kinds of translation (linguistic, cultural) or adaptation (formal, generic, medium) it undergoes in order to and as a consequence of doing so; and 3) how we can use our new expertise in this area and in Russian culture more broadly to further facilitate and promote intercultural knowledge and exchange in the present day. In addition to familiar techniques of textual analysis and interpretation, therefore, we will learn how to “translate” our expertise in Russian culture for a wider audience and within the context of relevant contemporary social issues. For the final assessment, students will work towards producing a sample of journalistic and/or creative work that achieves this goal.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to:Demonstrate a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of key cultural texts and broad cultural developments in 20th and 21st C Russia; Critically analyse cultural texts with attention to specific formal and thematic issues as well as sociohistoric context; Identify and analyse the processes of (re)translation, imitation, and adaptation involved in the international circulation of cultural texts and artefacts with reference to the specific cultural context by which they are taken up; Conceive, develop, and ‘pitch’ a critical or creative response to a specific (set of) cultural artefact(s) to appeal to a contemporary British audience.
Assessment	34929-01 : 1000 Word Critical Response in English : Coursework (30%) 34929-02 : Project - mixed media : Coursework (70%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 1000 words short critical response paper in English (30%); 1 x 3,000 words (equivalent) written project pitch (500 words) + project sample (1500 words written sample or 15 minute podcast sample, depending on format chosen) + critical commentary (1000 words) (70%). Reassessment: No resits are permitted in final year. If students miss the assessed task owing to extenuating circumstances, the failed task would be rescheduled at a later date.
Other
Reading List