This course provides an introduction to the politics of Russia. It traces the evolution of Russian politics by offering a wide-range discussion of main events, figures and scholarly interpretations of Russia's past and present. While the initial focus is on the rise and fall of communist ideology and institutions, the course examines in detail the ongoing development of political structures in post-communist Russia and the forces, both domestic and international, that shape the life of Russians today.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- familiarise themselves with Russia as a geographic and cultural entity, and major phases in its political development;
- reflect on, and discuss the key concepts, themes, and schools of thought pertaining to politics and international relations of Russia, with a special emphasis on the notions of democracy, totalitarianism, imperialism, and post-Communist transition;
- analyse historical and current developments in Russia, using these intellectual tools; and
- locate and collate materials on a topic relevant to Russian studies, and present their findings cogently.
Other Information
Historical International Security Minor - ANU
Indicative Assessment
- 3,000 word essay (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- 2-hour exam (two questions to be answered) (40) [LO 3,4]
- Tutorial performance (10) [LO 2,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
The course uses an electronic brick published on Wattle.
Preliminary Reading
- Tsygankov, A. The Strong State in Russia. Development and Crisis. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Shiraev, E. Russian Government and Politics. 3rd edition. New York: MacmillanEducation, 2021.
- Studin, I. (ed) Russia: Strategy, Policy and Administration. London: PalgraveMacmillan, 2018.
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4440 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.