UIC PRLS Course Catalog SPRING 2022

RUSSIAN CULTURE:

THE SOVIET PERIOD (RUSS 116)

This course begins with an overview of late Imperial
Russian culture and politics to understand the mounting
pressures that led to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
It will then explore the greatest political experiment in

modern history and conclude with a consideration of
Soviet legacies in post-Soviet Russia today. We will
investigate literature and other artistic media such as
film, architecture, and painting to illuminate the diversity
of Soviet realities and the incongruities between political
dictum and human experience. While the primary focus
of this course is literary and artistic expressions of Soviet
and post-Soviet Russia, we will also engage with political

history as it relates to the Soviet experiment.



DDepartment of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies
SPRING 2022 – POL 150 – T/Th 12:30-1:45
A CREATIVE ARTS & WORLD CULTURES COURSE

POL 150: INTRO TO POLISH CINEMA

In this course we will explore the history of film as a modern art
form and a social phenomenon in Poland, from its beginnings in
the Interwar Period (1920’s and ‘30s) to the present day. You will
be introduced to major periods and trends in the development of
Polish film, including: interwar talkies in Polish and Yiddish, that
focus on themes of traditional society’s encounter with and
movement into modernity; Socialist Realist and Neorealist films
of the post-WWII period in Poland, responding to the aesthetic
requirements of the Soviet-imposed post-war regime; the rise of
the Polish Film School of Łódź and “films of moral concern”
following the political thaw of 1956; the development of
documentary film and animated film as distinct and powerful art
forms during Poland’s socialist period; and contemporary Polish
films of post-1989 democratic Poland, exploring the relationship
of art to memory, trauma and collective identity.

No prerequisites. Taught in English

Karen Underhill
POL 150 (35482)
Tues/Thurs 12:30-1:45

RUSS 150: INTRODUCTION TO RUSSIAN CINEMA

The history of film would be drastically different without the experiments
and innovations of Russian directors and cinematographers. This course

will explore a chronology of Russian and Soviet film, examining this
cultural and artistic phenomenon in the context of the dramatic

upheavals of the Bolshevik revolution and its aftermath. We will look at
depictions of war, the interface of the human with the machine, and

flights of the imagination through cinematic technology. Throughout the
course, we will ask not only how Russian culture alters the course of

Russian film, but also how developments in Russian film enable the radical
reimagining of personal and social life.

MW 3:00-4:15 Spring 2022
Creative Arts or World Cultures GEN-ED

INSTRUCTOR: Charlie Smith – ALL MEDIA SHOWN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Prerequisite(s):
POL104

Tuesday & Thursday
2:00 – 3:15 PM

Intsructor:
Izolda Wolski-

Moskoff

For more info info
contact:

[email protected]

POLISH 203 Acquire Advanced
Proficiency in Polish!
Advanced Polish Through Short Stories
Learn about culture and
Designed to continue the development of advanced language skills in raise your linguistic
three modes of communication (interpersonal, interpretative, and skills to successfully
presentational). While expanding linguistic skills, the course will deepen communicate with
your knowledge of Polish everyday life and culture. We will read speakers from Poland!
contemporary writers such as Tokarczuk, Cieplak, and Szczerk but also get
acquainted with Polish short stories from the twentieth century by Hłasko,
Lem, Kapuściński, Sapkowski, and others. Reading and instruction in
Polish. All materials will be provided by the instructor.

RUSS 202 MWF 11-11.50
ADVANCED RUSSIAN INSTRUCTOR:
THROUGH CONTEMPORARY VLADISLAV ZEMENKOV

CULTURE

The course is intended for advanced Russian students. You
will get acquainted with contemporary cultural production
in Russia (films, animation, music, performance etc.)
Chronologically, this course includes the period of the 1990-
the 2010s. The goal of this course is to improve different
language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. All
materials are available online.

Let’s speak Russian!
Поговорим по-русски!

Tolstoy

Russ 242 • Julia Vaingurt • TR 11:00-12:15 • Spring 2022
Creative Arts Course

In this course we will study the evolution of Tolstoy's art and philosophy from his
first attempts at writing to one of his last works, "The Forged Coupon," published
posthumously. In the process, we will read two of the world's most famous novels,
War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and several of Tolstoy's greatest short works,
including "The Death of Ivan Ilych" and ”Hadji Murat." Through close readings of
Tolstoy's classics, we will analyze his artistic method, his philosophy of art, and his
take, often controversial, on various political, social, and religious issues of his time.
The author's works will be studied against the backdrop of his life and the historic and
cultural events of nineteenth-century Russia. Students will also get a chance to study
the reception of Tolstoy's art by watching clips from film adaptations and reading
critical responses to his writing in his time and throughout the twentieth century. All
readings, lectures and class discussions are in English.

1930’s Yiddish Film – Itzik Manger – Warsaw Cabaret – Bruno Schulz

PRLS: The UIC Department of Polish, Russian & Lithuanian Studies
SPRING 2022 – POL 220/CEES 220/JST 220
T/TH 3:30-4:45

Modern Polish Jewish Culture
& LiteratureS

A creative arts & world cultures course

Before WWII and the Holocaust, Poland was a country of Karen Underhill
many cultures, languages and religions, where East European
Jewish culture flourished for over 700 years. When Poland POL 220 / Spring 2022
gained independence following WWI, Polish Jews -- who T/Th 3:30-4:45
represented from 30-80% of residents in every Polish town
and city -- helped to shape modern culture in three languages, For more info contact: [email protected]
Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew. In this course we enter the rich
and dynamic world of Polish Jewish Culture through
engagement with films, short stories, song lyrics, poetry and
essays in English translation. Studying modern, secular Jewish
culture from pre-war Poland, we ask questions relevant to our
own lives in the US today: How do communities develop their
distinct culture and language, while contributing to the larger
democratic society as a whole? How is assimilation in pre-war
Poland similar to or different from assimilation into American
culture? How do literature and music change when
nationalism is on the rise?

Our course does not focus on the Holocaust; yet our study of
the rich and diverse world of Polish Jewry is informed at all
times by the knowledge that this culture was all but
destroyed in the 20th century, and by considerations of how
Polish-Jewish culture is today being differently remembered,
understood and revived by both Jews and Poles in Poland,
and by Jewish communities worldwide.

Course taught in English.
All readings in translation.

Molly picon – sholem Aleichem – Y.L. Peretz – Debora vogel

History of
European Standard Languages

LCSL 406, Spring 2022, Tuesdays 4:00–6:30 PM

This course is all about the phenomenon of “standard languages.” The standard
variety is primarily written with the goal of providing linguistic uniformity in the face of

social diversity. Standard languages are often thought of as prestigious, “most
beautiful,” and may serve as a symbol of national identity while also being the official

language of a country. We will analyze and discuss the “birth” and development of
language standards, the development of individual standard languages. Some

standards were initiated by kings, others—by intellectuals of peasant origin. Of over
50 present standard languages in Europe a number will be investigated, compared,
and classified: English, Russian, German, Greek, Yiddish, Italian, French, Spanish,

Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Croatian, Serbian, Luxembourgish,
Albanian, Estonian, etc.
Prof. Giedrius Subačius

WHAT WAS CENTRAL EUROPE?
CEES 551

Professor Michał Markowski (W, 6-8.30)

Fifteen years before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, a Czech writer exiled in France,
Milan Kundera, made a splash with an essay The Tragedy of Central Europe. He argued
that the schizophrenic split between political belonging to the East and cultural
adherence to the West made life in several countries East of the Elbe possible only as
a cultural utopia. This utopia was called Central Europe. Were there any uniting factors
for Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Austrian cultures, except they all belonged once to the
Habsburg Empire? Did Central Europe ever exist as a cultural entity, or was it just one
of the great literary myths to feed our nostalgia? Reading (in English) literary texts
from different periods and countries and contemporary critical commentaries, we will
ask to what extent cultural utopias work to maintain political order and where they go
against it.

PRLS Courses - Spring 2022
UIC Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

Beginning & Intermediate Language Courses

POL 102 Elementary Polish II

4 hours. Continues POL 101. Prerequisite(s): POL 101 or the equivalent.

MWF 2:00-2:25pm Weinbeer, M.

RUSS 102 Elementary Russian II

4 hours. Continues RUSS 101. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 101 or the equivalent.

MWF 10:00-10:50am Zemenkov, V.

MWF 11:00-11:50am Lee, D.

LITH 102 Elementary Lithuanian II

4 hours. Continues LITH 101. Prerequisite(s): LITH 101 or the equivalent.

MW 8:00-9:15am Vaitkute, K.

LITH 104 Intermediate Lithuanian II

4 hours. Continues LITH 103. Prerequisite(s): LITH 103 101 or the equivalent.

TR 8:00-9:15 am Vaitkute, K.

POL 104 Intermediate Polish II

4 hours. Continues POL 103. Prerequisite(s): POL 103 or the equivalent.

MWF 10:00-10:50am Wąsik, J.

MWF 12:00-12:50am Weinbeer, M.

RUSS 104 Intermediate Russian II Peremitina, P.

4 hours. Continues RUSS 103. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 103 or the equivalent.

MWF 2:00-2:50pm

Gen Ed Courses and Courses that count towards the Major/Minor:

LITH 115 Lithuanian Culture

3 hours. This course offers a diversity of insights over the cultural landscape of Lithuania: language, mythology, literature,

film, architecture, art, geography, population, emigration, history, resistance, and identity. We read, watch, and discuss. Gen

Ed: an Exploring World Cultures course.

[Counts toward the CEES Concentration]

TR 9:30-10:45am Subacius, G.

RUSS 116 Russian Culture: The Soviet Period

3 hours. This course explores the emergence of Socialist Realism, the style that dominated in film, literature and art for

decades in the Soviet Union and countries of the Eastern Bloc. We will explore cultural dimension of the Soviet project

through novels, short stories, Soviet films, and Soviet art. Our primary goal will be to understand the origin and the nature

of Socialist Realism as a modern phenomenon. The Soviet period of Russian culture is often associated with the established

opposition between the official realm of Socialist Realism and the unofficial underground culture, which we will also talk

about to explore the Soviet culture thoroughly. previous knowledge of Russian language or culture required. All readings

and class discussions are in English. Gen Ed: An Exploring World Cultures course.

MWF 12:00-12:50pm Smith, J.

PRLS Courses - Spring 2022
UIC Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

Continued - Courses that count towards the Major/Minor:

POL 120 Polish Short Stories in Translation

3 hours. What new modes of storytelling exist in the 21st century? Join us to explore short stories created by Polish

writers, noise musicians, contemporary filmmakers and visual artists - some of whom you will have a chance to meet
personally during our class. Storytellers include, among others: Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk, Stanisław Lem,

Dorota Masłowska and contemporary artists Agnieszka Polska, Janek Simon, Michał Marczak. Gen Ed: A Creative Arts

and World Cultures Course.

MWF 1:00-1:50pm Wąsik, J.

POL 150 Introduction to Polish Cinema

3 hours. In this course we will explore the history of film as a modern art form and a social phenomenon in Poland, from
its beginnings in the Interwar Period (1920’s and ‘30s) to the present day. You will be introduced to major periods and

trends in the development of Polish film, including: interwar talkies in Polish and Yiddish, that focus on themes of
traditional society’s encounter with and movement into modernity; Socialist Realist and Neorealist films of the post-

WWII period in Poland, responding to the aesthetic requirements of the Soviet-imposed post-war regime; the rise of the
Polish Film School of Łódź and “films of moral concern” following the political thaw of 1956; the development of

documentary film and animated film as distinct and powerful artforms during Poland’s socialist period; and contemporary

Polish films of post-1989 democratic Poland, exploring the relationship of art to memory, trauma and collective identity.

Taught in English. Gen Ed: Creative Arts Course, and World Cultures course.

TR 12:30-1:45pm Underhill, K.

RUSS 150 Introduction to Russian Cinema

3 hours. The history of film would be drastically different without the experiments and innovations of Russian directors

and cinematographers. This course will explore a chronology of Russian and Soviet film, examining this cultural and

artistic phenomenon in the context of the dramatic upheavals of the Bolshevik revolution and its aftermath. We will look

at depictions of war, the interface of the human with the machine, and flights of the imagination through cinematic

technology. Throughout the course, we will ask not only how Russian culture alters the course of Russian film, but also

how developments in Russian film enable the radical reimagining of personal and social life. Gen Ed: Creative Arts and

World Cultures Course.

MW 3:00-4:15 pm Lee, D.

POL 203 Advanced Polish Through Short Stories

3 hours. Designed to continue the development of advanced language skills in three modes of communication

(interpersonal, interpretative, and presentational). While expanding linguistic skills, the course will deepen your knowledge

of Polish everyday life and culture. We will read contemporary writers such as Tokarczuk, Cieplak, and Szczerk but also
get acquainted with Polish short stories from the twentieth century by Hłasko, Lem, Kapuściński, Sapkowski, and others.

Reading and instruction in Polish. All materials will be provided by the instructor.

TR 2:00-3:15 pm Wolski-Moskoff, I.

RUSS 202 Advanced Russian through Contemporary Culture

3 hours. Development of skills in spoken and written Russian, within the context of contemporary Russian culture, via a

variety of sources, such as: news articles, comics, music. Prerequisite(s): RUSS 104; or appropriate score on the

department placement test.

MWF 11:00-11:50am Zemenkov, V.

PRLS Courses - Spring 2022
UIC Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

Continued - Courses that count towards the Major/Minor:

POL 220 / CEES 220 / JST 220 Modern Polish Jewish Culture & Literature

3 hours. Before WWII and the Holocaust, Poland was a country of many cultures, languages, and religions, where East
European Jewish culture flourished for over 700 years. When Poland gained independence following WWI, Polish Jews –

who represented from 30-80% of residents in most Polish towns and cities -- helped to shape modern culture in three

languages, Polish, Yiddish and Hebrew. In this course we enter the rich and dynamic world of Polish Jewish Culture through

engagement with films, short stories, song lyrics, poetry and essays in English translation. Studying modern, secular Jewish

culture from pre-war Poland, we ask questions relevant to our own lives in the multiethnic, multilingual US today. Taught

in English. Gen Ed: A Creative Arts Course and World Cultures Course.

TR 3:30-4:45pm Underhill, K.

CEES 224 Introduction to Literary Analysis of Central & East European Texts

Required course for the Major in Polish, Russian & Central & East European Studies – all concentrations
3 hours. These two questions—how to read Slavic literature and why—are of a great importance to everybody who wants

to familiarize themselves with Polish and Russian literature. This introductory class, however, will also relate to any other

reading experience, not only limited to the Slavic culture. We are going to learn how to read literary texts, how to name

basic devices used by authors, and, first and foremost, how to talk about our reading experience in a professional manner.

We will read (in English) classic short texts from 19th and 20th century to understand how they were written. This class is

required for Polish and Russian majors but all students interested in comprehending and talking about literature will profit

from its analytical slant. Previously listed as SLAV 324. Prerequisite (s): POL 104, RUSS 104, or equivalent, or consent

of instructor.

TR 9:30-10:45 am Markowski, M.

RUSS 242 Tolstoy

3 hours. In this course we will study the evolution of Tolstoy's art and philosophy from his first attempts at writing to one

of his last works, "The Forged Coupon," published posthumously. In the process, we will read two of the world's most

famous novels, War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and several of Tolstoy's greatest short works, including "The Death of
Ivan Ilych" and ”Hadji Murat." Through close readings of Tolstoy's classics, we will analyze his artistic method, his

philosophy of art, and his take, often controversial, on various political, social, and religious issues of his time. The

author's works will be studied against the backdrop of his life and the historic and cultural events of nineteenth-century

Russia. Students will also get a chance to study the reception of Tolstoy's art by watching clips from film adaptations and

reading critical responses to his writing in his time and throughout the twentieth century. All readings, lectures and class

discussions are in English.

TR 11:00-12:15pm Vaingurt, J.

CEES 247 Central and Eastern European Science Fiction and Fantasy

3 hours. Genres of science fiction and fantasy includes literature by prominent writers from Central and Eastern Europe

read in English translation, as well as films with English subtitles. Course Information: Taught in English.

MW 3:00-4:15 Zakrzewska, D.

POL 234 History of Poland

3 hours. This course will consider the political, social, and cultural transformations of the historic Polish lands from 966

CE to the present. We will take as our starting premise that the history of Poland is the history of a multicultural and

multiethnic society. As a result, we will study the various people, social groups, and cultures that have shaped Polish

history over the past millennium. Beginning with the first Polish state under the Piast dynasty, we will continue with the

union of Lithuania and the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the period of partitioning by the German,

Austrian, and Russian empires and the rise of Polish nationalism, the interwar politics of Polish independence, life under

occupation during World War II and the Holocaust, communism and its collapse in 1989, and the more recent post-

socialist state.Same as HIST 234. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 161. Individual and Society, and Past course.

TR 11:00-12:15pm Stauter-Halsted, K

PRLS Courses - Spring 2022
UIC Department of Polish, Russian, and Lithuanian Studies

Continued - Courses that count towards the Major/Minor:

RUSS 330 Art and Politics: Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature

3 hours. An examination of various Russian literary and aesthetic practices with a focus on how writers defined their art

vis-Ã-vis its contribution to or autonomy from the ideological goals of the Soviet state. Course Information: Taught in

English.

MWF 1-1:50pm Smith, J.

LING 406 / LCSL 406 History of European Standard Languages

This course is all about the phenomenon of “standard languages.” The standard variety is primarily written with the goal of

providing linguistic uniformity in the face of social diversity. Standard languages are often thought of as prestigious, “most

beautiful,” and may serve as a symbol of national identity while also being the official language of a country. We will

analyze and discuss the “birth” and development of language standards, the development of individual standard languages.

Some standards were initiated by kings, others—by intellectuals of peasant origin. Of over 50 present standard languages

in Europe a number will be investigated, compared, and classified: English, Russian, German, Greek, Yiddish, Italian,

French, Spanish, Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Croatian, Serbian, Luxembourgish, Albanian, Estonian, etc.

T 4:00-6:30pm Subacius, G.

CEES 460 Topics in Central and East European Culture

3 Hours/4 Hours.

Thursday 3:30-6:00pm Zakrzewska, D.

Graduate Courses

LING 406 / LCSL 406 History of European Standard Languages

See full description above.

T 4:00-6:30pm Subacius, G.

RUSS 540 Topics in Russian Culture and Cultural Studies: Imitation and Originality in Russian Literature

4 Credits. Practices of imitation and parody in Russian literature, the role of those practices in Russian literary history,

and their relationship to literary evolution and ideological change. Course Information: RUSS 540 may be repeated to a

maximum of 8 hours, if topics vary and with consent of instructor. Taught in English and Russian.

M 3:00-5:30pm Vaingurt, J.

CEES 551 Critical and Theoretical Approaches to Literature in Central and Eastern Europe: What was Central

Europe?

4 Credits. Fifteen years before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, a Czech writer exiled in France, Milan Kundera, made a

splash with an essay The Tragedy of Central Europe. He argued that the schizophrenic split between political belonging to

the East and cultural adherence to the West made life in several countries East of the Elbe possible only as a cultural

utopia. This utopia was called Central Europe. Were there any uniting factors for Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Austrian

cultures, beyond the fact that they all belonged once to the Habsburg Empire? Did Central Europe ever exist as a cultural

entity, or was it just one of the great literary myths to feed our nostalgia? Reading (in English) literary texts from different

periods and countries and contemporary critical commentaries, we will ask to what extent cultural utopias work to

maintain political order and where they go against it.

W 6:00-8:30 pm Markowski, M.

Information for Students Majoring in Polish, Russian & Central & Eastern European Studies
With a concentration in either Polish, Russian or CEES:

What Spring 2022 PRLS courses will help fulfill my major or minor requirements?

[Note: the major requires 20 hours of selective coursework in your concentration. Six of those 20 hours, or 2 courses, can
be at the 100-level. You will need an additional 5 courses (14 hours) at the 200-level and above. For minors, you will need
9 credit hours of elective coursework in your area (3 courses), with at least 2 of those courses at the 200-level and above].

Here are the Spring 2022 courses that will count toward your 20 hours (majors) or 9 hours (minors):

POLISH MAJOR (CONCENTRATION) or MINOR:

- POL 104 – Intermediate Polish II
- POL 120 – Polish Short Stories in Translation
- POL 150 – Introduction to Polish Cinema
- POL 203 – Advanced Polish Through Short Stories
- POL 220/JST 220/CEES 220 – Modern Polish Jewish Culture & Literatures
- POL 234 – History of Poland*
- CEES 247 – Central and Eastern European Science Fiction and Fantasy
- CEES 433 – Topics in Eastern European History*
- CEES 460 -- Topics in Central and East European Culture

*A maximum of three semester hours in History (including cross-listed courses) may count toward required course work.
Note: Students with a Major or Minor in Polish Studies, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, are eligible to apply for the Dr.
Bolesław and Krystyna Mazur Scholarships in Undergraduate Polish Studies. Please write to Karen Underhill
([email protected]) with inquiries.

RUSSIAN MAJOR (CONCENTRATION) or MINOR:

- RUSS 104 – Intermediate Russian II
- RUSS 116 – Russian Culture: The Soviet Period
- RUSS 150 – Introduction to Russian Cinema
- RUSS 202 – Advanced Russian through Contemporary Culture
- RUSS 242 – Tolstoy
- RUSS 330 – Art and Politics: Soviet and Post-Soviet Literature
- CEES 433 – Topics in Eastern European History*
- CEES 435 – Topics in Russian History*

*A maximum of three semester hours in History (including cross-listed courses) may count toward required course work.

CENTRAL & EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES (CEES) CONCENTRATION:

- ALL of the above listed Courses within the POL, RUSS, or CEES categories, plus:
- LITH 115 – Intro to Lithuanian Culture
- HIST 235 – The Rise and Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe
- LING 406 / LCSL 406 – History of European Standard Languages

A note to all majors: Remember that you can switch at any time from a concentration in Polish or Russian to the
department-wide concentration in CEES. This option grants greater flexibility in which courses you take to fulfill your
concentration requirements.

Language requirement for Majors: to complete the major you must take or test out of the 104-level course in your
language of concentration: either RUSS 104, POL 104, or LITH 104. Note: CEES concentrators may choose any one of
these three languages.

Is there a language requirement for Minors, beyond what LAS requires? No: Advanced language study is strongly
encouraged for minors, but not required. You can fulfill the requirements for a minor in Polish Studies or a minor in
Russian Studies with courses in literature and culture. Note that either POL 104 or RUSS 104 does count as 4 credits
toward your 9 required credits of selective courses.

For more information on majors and minors in Polish, Russian and Central and Eastern European Studies, please visit:

https://prls.uic.edu/academics/major-and-minors/

and feel free to contact PRLS academic advisor Meg LaLonde at: [email protected]

or Karen Underhill, Director of Undergraduate Studies, PRLS: [email protected]

For information on the Language Certificate in Russian or Polish, please contact Izolda Wolski-Moskoff at:
[email protected], and please visit:

https://prls.uic.edu/academics/certificates/russian/

https://prls.uic.edu/academics/certificates/certificate-in-polish-language/