Central and Eastern European Studies: Russia and Eastern Europe - the Present and the Past

The course focuses on historical processes and their role in shaping identity in modern Russia and its Eastern European neighboring countries (such as Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova), which were part of the Soviet Union before 1991. Key identity-shaping events both before and after 1917 (such as the Russian communist revolution, the famine and terror of the 1930s, World War II, the Cold War, the fall of communism in 1989, or the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991) are discussed and analysed in their historical context and from the perspective of the new post-Soviet and post-communist era.

Among the main questions of the course are: What is the difference between the historical development in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and others on one hand, and the rest of Europe on the other? Which history—both new and old—is worth remembering, and which should be ignored and forgotten? How are the most significant events interpreted, and how are they framed in various historical narratives that aim to give different meanings to historical developments and create various collective (national, religious, political, cultural, etc.) identities? Who are the main actors behind these processes? How is the development in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and others since 1991 related to the Europeanization process, that is, the effort to create a common European identity?

By the end of this course, you'll gain a deep humanistic understanding of Russia and Eastern Europe, confidently discussing issues, theories, and research. Mastering key concepts like identity and historical culture, you'll analyse how Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian identities take shape, connecting these processes to broader regional and European identity trends. You will get analytical skills to summarize and critically evaluate scholarly literature on Eastern European cultures, linking these insights to global and European contexts. Finally, you'll develop the ability to assess the struggle between EU-advocated parliamentary-democratic ideals and persistent authoritarian tendencies in contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe, and to reflect on the of history – and the use of history – in relationship to the creation of democratic values in modern society.

The course is examined by mandatory seminars that include written assignments.