intro to Russian history (cont.)

[Jenny Carr]

Dear Devin,
I teach a "language + culture taster class to 17 year olds (so a bit older
than your students?).  They are interested in history (because they've
learned a bit about Stalin in history classes) so I do a whistle stop
through Russian history from Rus' onwards, showing bits of films/whole films
as appropriate:
eg
Mongols - sack of Vladimir from "Andrei Rublev" pt 2
Ivan the T - extracts from Eisenstein
Stalin - whole of Tsymbal's "Zashchitnik Sedov" (brilliant film giving
insight into the atmosphere and complexities of 1937, only 45 mins long so
fits a lesson)

I also use poetry: I read the Russian while they look at parallel text:
Peter the Gt - intro to Mednyi Vsadnik
Revolution - bits of Blok's "12"

And get them researching "why was Ivan terrible".

Would welcome other ideas,
Jenny Carr
Director, Scotland-Russia Forum
+44 (0)131 662 9149
scotrussforum at blueyonder.co.uk
www.scotlandrussiaforum.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Prof Steven P Hill" <s-hill4 at UIUC.EDU>
To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 7:32 AM
Subject: [SEELANGS] intro to Russian history (cont.)


> Dear colleagues & Devin Browne:
>
> I tend to agree that "Ark" might be too specialized and arcane for
> high schoolers just starting Russian study.  One reader's suggestion
> of "Moscow...Tears" isn't bad, because it covers a few decades from
> the late 1940s onward.
>
> Perhaps even broader in its historical sweep could be "Sibiriada" [ better
> translated as "Siberiana"? ], directed by Andrei Konchalovskii in the
1970s
> before he migrated to the West.  That film covers a few generations of
> a couple of Russian families, from before the 1917 "October Revolution"
> all the way down to the late Soviet decades, and even includes a legendary
> spectre supposedly from Russia's distant folkloric past.  Probably has
> a clearer narrative than "Ark," and thus more accessible to beginning
> high schoolers...
>
> Best wishes to all,
> Steven P Hill,
> University of Illinois.
> __ __ __ __ __ __ ___
>
> Date: Thu 15 Feb 00:24:57 CST 2007
> From: <LISTSERV at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
> Subject: Re: GETPOST SEELANGS
> To: Steven Hill <S-HILL4 at UIUC.EDU>
>
> Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:30:31 -0500
> From: Devin Browne <dpbrowne at MAC.COM>
> Subject: Russian Ark & other musings, questions
>
> Has anyone seen the film Russian Ark?  I've read some reviews and it
> sounds like it gives a general historical overview of Russia (300
> years worth) over the course of an hour and a half.
> It made me start thinking of my high school students (Russian 1, first
> year of a new Russian program).  They know virtually NOTHING about
> Russian history and have only the vaguest idea of Russia's present
> relationship with the US.  Can you suggest an approach to introducing
> some Russian history that wouldn't bore the pants off of a small group
> of inner-city American kids?  I'm really struggling with this.
> Devin  (aka Divan)
>
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