Syllabus
1. October 5, 2018 - introduction to the course. Requirements, expectations etc.
2. October 12, 2018 - forming of the state - was the fall of the Soviet Union real catastrophe for Russia? Why was the fall of the Soviet Union "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe"? What went wrong? a. George Breslauer, Evaluating Gorbachev as a Leader, pp. 271-294 b. David R. Marples, Revisiting the Collapse of the USSR1
3. October 19, 2018 - were the 1990s a disaster? Were the reforms of 1990s complete failure? a. Peter Rutland, Boris Eltsin of History, http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/demokratizatsiya%20archive/06-04_rutland.pdf b. George Breslauer, Evaluating Yeltsin as Leader
4. October 26, 2018 - Vladimir Putin - a rise of a strongman? How Vlaimir Putin got to a power? Why the system became so stable? What were the conditions, environment? a. Richard Sakwa, Putin’s Path in Putin: Russia’s choice
5. November 2, 2018 - Russia as a dictatorship? President’s power in the system. Putin’s use of a parliament etc. a. William A. Clark, Boxing Russia Executive-Legislative Powers and the Categorization of Russia’s Regime Type
6. November 16, 2018- Russian elections - fraud or reflection of voters’ preferences? Party system. Reforms of the party system as a limitation of democracy etc. Setting the authoritarian rule?
7. November 23, 2018 - groups of power. Siloviks, liberals etc. informal power, rules. a. Alena Ledeneva, How Russia Really Works, pp. 10-27
7. November 30, 2018- Russian federation - united we stand? Is Russia still a federation, or a unitary state?
8. December 14, 2018 - Russian economy - colossus on clay feet? Dependency on oil. Current problems of Russia’s economy - Why it is stagnating? a. http://www.nber.org/papers/w10057.pdf?new_window=1
9. December 21, 2018 - Russian foreign policy - Is Russia losing its role? Relations with the close neighborhood. Russian aspect in their policies. Russian minority.
11. January 4, 2019 - Russia as an emerging great power? Great power ambitions. Multi-vector policy. Geopolitics
12.
Annotation
The main aim of the course is to discuss the problems of post-communist Russia from their political, economic and social perspective. More than giving final answers, the course should open new questions, promote critical thinking about Russia and its politics. We should challenge the established truths and subject them to a critical evaluation. The course itself aims at explaining of the current topics with the basis of the development of the previous twenty five years.
The main questions we should try to address are topics such as: What is post-soviet in Russia? Why is Vladimir Putin still popular in Russia while negatively perceived in the West? Who rules the country? Is Russia a great power? Does it promote its borders or defends its territory? Nevertheless, students are welcomed and encouraged to raise their own questions.
After finishing of this course, students should be able to analyze the problems of contemporary Russia in their depth, explain them not only by simple declarations and truths so well known from newspapers. We will be simply asking questions, trying to find possible explanations.
Our goal is to understand and discuss, not to judge.
After absolving this course, student should be able to analyze impartially and without emotions the situation in Russia and its role in the world.