OVERVIEW

History of Eastern Europe

The course aims to provide a basic competence in the history and the culture of Russia and Eastern Europe from the Ninth century to the present day. It will pay particular attention to the processes of cultural, economic, institutional, political and social transformation of the Russian Empire and Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

In addition to a historical-critical and bibliographic introduction to Eastern Europe in the modern and contemporary age, offering the student the opportunity to deal with the central moments of the institutional, social and cultural history of this area.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Enrolling on the course will give students the opportunity to gain a general knowledge of the history and the culture of Russia and Eastern Europe from the Ninth century to the present day. Particular attention will be paid to the processes of cultural, economic, institutional, political and social transformation of the Russian Empire, of the Soviet Union and of today's Russia.

The goal is to provide students with a detailed picture of the historical, political, economic, social and cultural situation of Eastern Europe (up to the present day). Particular regard will be paid to the role which Russia played in this area over the centuries . On the one hand, the course will examine the progressive emergence of Russian power in Eastern Europe, a process which started from Peter the Great; on the other hand, it will analyse the problems which arose from this rapid ascension: a fact that influences, perhaps even today, many aspects of European policy.

At the end of the course students will be able:

to orient themselves in the specific realities and the culture of Eastern Europe and Russia and in the context of the historical period examined during the lectures;

they will acquire the specific technical language of the discipline and be able to demonstrate the knowledge of the political, social, economic and cultural events and dynamics of the history of Tsarist Russia, of the Soviet Union and of present day  Russia;

More specifically, students will have gained an adequate understanding of the methods adopted in the analysis and in the interpretation of the great processes of Russian and Soviet history and culture, seen both from an internal and an  international perspective, from the beginning up to the present time;  they will, finally, acquire a basic knowledge of the main historiographical debates dealing with  the main topics of the course.

The students will be able to communicate effectively in written and oral form; to adapt one's communication to the context, using sources and aids of various kinds.

PREREQUISITES

A basic knowledge of European history and culture is desirable to effectively address the teaching content

TEACHING METHODS

University lectures given by the professor, in-class presentations.

The lessons will be held in person.

Students will be supported in their learning by teaching materials and resources related to the lectures and made available on  a website (Aulaweb).

The course includes the use of the debate methodology.

For students with learning disabilities/dsa:

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will be divided into two parts:

- The first part will address the general long-term historical themes, which are essential for understanding the specific realities of Eastern Europe in the period examined during the lectures.

- The second part will be focused on the role played by the Russian Empire, then by the Soviet Union and finally by Russia in European and Eastern European history. More specifically, this part will deal with political, social, institutional and cultural issues. Namely:  the formation of the Russian state, the migration of populations, social and economic reforms, the revolts, the balance of international politics and diplomacy.

- a part of the course will be dedicated to imperial period and to the social and cultural history (literature, painting, cinema, architecture) of the Russian Empire

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attending students:

A book chosen from the following:

P. Bushkovitch, Breve storia della Russia. Dalle origini a Putin, Einaudi, Torino, 2013

Giulia Lami, Storia dell'Europa orientale. Da Napoleone alla fine della prima guerra mondiale, Le Monnier, Milano, 2019.

In addition, the student is required to show a good understanding of the problems of Russian history and culture dealt with in:

Marco Natalizi, Caterina di Russia, Salerno Editrice, Roma, 2021

Non-attending students:

Non-attending students are asked to contact the teacher to agree on the inclusion of an additional text in addition to those provided for in the program.

For students with learning disabilities/dsa:

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 23rd, 2025

Class schedule

HISTORY OF EASTERN EUROPE

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral Exams:

The required knowledge will be verified through a final oral exam. The student will have to answer four / five open questions on the topics examined during the course.

In addition, the most important topics will be debated during some of the lectures with the aim of preparing the students for the oral exam.

For students with learning disabilities/dsa:

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The actual achievement of the expected learning outcomes will be verified through an oral exam that will ascertain:

- the effective acquisition of knowledge related to the history and the culture of Russia and Eastern Europe, the ability to place single historical events within the broader international context (15/30)

- the ability to make causal connections between historical events in the political, social and cultural sphere; the knowledge of the historiographical debates (10/30)

- the quality of the presentation, the speaking ability, the acquisition of the correct lexical terms related to the discipline (5/30)

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance at the course is not mandatory, but is highly recommended.