Fall 2026
Literature and Art from the Soviet Union
Dates: August 25, 2026 – December 17, 2026Day/Time: Tuesday; Thursday 5:35 AM - 6:50 AM EDT
Level: 200-Level
Certificate: Global Humanities
Global Humanities certificate requirement: Global imagination (study of art and culture).
Instructor: Maryna Batsman, American University of Central Asia
This course surveys major literature and art produced in the Soviet Union from the 1917 Revolution to its dissolution in 1991. It explores key movements in prose, poetry, painting, and film—from modernism through socialist realism to postmodernism—examining their evolution alongside historical and political change. Readings include short works by Mayakovsky, Semenko, Akhmatova, Mandelshtam, Babel, Grossman, and Shalamov, as well as novellas by Bulgakov and Yerofeyev. Artistic movements covered range from avant-garde (Ekster, Sinyakova, Stepanova, Eisenstein) to Central Asian socialist realism (Chuikov, Aytiev) and non-conformist art (Kabakov, Kuryokhin, Bulatov). The course analyzes the complex and shifting relationship between the artist and the state, focusing on how sociopolitical conditions shaped creative expression. A central aim is to expand the canon by including overlooked and underappreciated works from Soviet regional centers such as Almaty, Tashkent, Minsk, and Kyiv. By integrating these into the curriculum alongside canonical chefs-d'œuvre, the course challenges the traditional Moscow-centric narrative and highlights the cultural diversity of the Soviet experience. The syllabus also foregrounds minority perspectives—Armenian, Ukrainian, Kyrgyz, and Jewish—enriching the understanding of Soviet cultural history. Women’s voices are examined across media including literature, fine art, film, and architecture, offering comparative insights into gendered artistic production. All texts, films, and music are provided in English or with English subtitles.
Prerequisite: First Year Seminar and English Composition for Liberal Arts I and II courses (or an equivalent English language liberal arts course).
Credits: 3 US / 6 ECTS