Russian Culture

  • Which are the unique characteristics of Russian culture within the European context?
  • Which were the important eras and upheavals in Russian cultural history?
  • In what way are everyday life, politics, art and media interwoven?
  • How does Russian culture present itself and how is it perceived?
  • Which alternative cultures compete with the official Russian and Soviet culture?
Elena Schick

By and by, the lecturers have managed to inspire enthusiasm for the Russian culture and especially literature.

Elena Schick Bachelor's degree
Elena Schick
Elena Schick has graduated as Bachelor of Arts in Russian Culture. Her other discipline was Comparative Literature Studies.

Wieso haben Sie sich damals für Ihr Studienfach entschieden?

Frankly, I just needed a second subject, and as I am originally from Russia, Russian Culture seemed the obvious choice.

An welchen Stellen haben sich die Erwartungen an Ihr Studienfach erfüllt, an welchen nicht?

I didn’t have any expectations. The subject was a “stepchild” at first. By and by, however, the lecturers have managed to inspire enthusiasm for the Russian culture and especially literature.

Was macht Ihnen in Ihrem Fach am meisten Spaß?

The cultural-historical synopses that are mandatory in the first four semesters were what I enjoyed most. Seminars dealing with diverse topics are very interesting, too. I specialised in Russian literature – a field of study that is fortunately extensively covered by the seminar curriculum.

Was war bisher die größte Herausforderung?

The language. Even though I’m a native speaker, German has long been my first language. Thanks to the entry-level test, students who have a basic grasp of the language don’t start from scratch; rather, they attend so-called compensation courses that help them improve their language abilities. It is possible, of course, to study Russian Culture without any previous knowledge of the Russian language. In that case, you will start by learning the alphabet. 

Was wollen Sie einmal damit werden?

By studying Russian Culture, I have acquired an additional qualification that will later help me win brownie points in my professional life. Working as a translator would not be my first choice, at least not full-time, but working at a publishing house that publishes Russian-language books would be an option.

Welche Tipps geben Sie den Leuten, die auch überlegen, Ihr Fach zu studieren?

If you don’t know any Russian at all: don’t let this put you off! Lectures and seminars are held in German. In the seminars, you will be expected to try to read texts in the original language, but the lecturers take non-native speakers into account and provide both versions (Russian and German), if possible.

Kathrin Lind

I like the diversity, and I always enjoy discovering connections to new areas of research.

Kathrin Lind Bachelor's degree
Kathrin Lind
Kathrin Lind, ninth semester student in Russian Culture. She is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree, 2-subject programme. Kathrin’s second subject is Slavonic Philology.

Wieso haben Sie sich damals für Ihr Studienfach entschieden?

I liked the description of the degree course and wished to get a better grasp of Russia’s history and culture.

An welchen Stellen haben sich die Erwartungen an Ihr Studienfach erfüllt, an welchen nicht?

My expectations have actually been exceeded – I had hoped to expand my existing knowledge, but in the end I discovered fields of knowledge that were entirely new to me. And even as a native speaker, I could put my language skills to the test and improve them. I was definitely not disappointed!

Was macht Ihnen in Ihrem Fach am meisten Spaß?

I very much appreciate that I’ve been given the opportunity to study diverse cultural aspects! It’s not just about language and literature, but also about history, art, politics, social issues, and everything else that makes up a culture. I like this diversity, and I always enjoy discovering connections to new areas of research.

Was war bisher die größte Herausforderung?

Gaining an overview over the entire history of Russia and to memorise it.

Was wollen Sie einmal damit werden?

I don’t have a particular job in view yet, but I would like to work in the international field of political education.

Welche Tipps geben Sie den Leuten, die auch überlegen, Ihr Fach zu studieren?

When you start your degree course, you’ll be getting a lot of support by the departmental student committee, your lecturers and tutors and you won’t be left to fend for yourself. Don’t worry if everything looks very difficult and confusing at first, you’ll know your way around in no time.

Studiengänge in diesem Fach