Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies

This certificate program offers students the opportunity to take advantage of the significant multidisciplinary resources in the Five Colleges on Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

The Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (REEES) Certificate Program works to offer students an opportunity to draw on rich resources of the faculty members at the Five Colleges and to coordinate curricula across the five campuses. The program also sponsors special events of interest to students and faculty members working in the field.

Ukrainian field that is the colors of the Ukrainian flag

Summer field in Ukraine. Photo: Olga Subach.

Joint Statement by REEES Faculty
on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The faculty of the Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian (REEES) Programs of the Five College Consortium on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine issue the following joint statement:

The Five Colleges have long been a home for students, artists, and scholars who are from and who study Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. We have welcomed everyone from young, inquisitive minds wishing to know more about these regions to dissidents and exiles who were fated to never return to them. Our community has always sought to apply its knowledge, curiosity, and love for the cultures and peoples of these spaces such that the world might become a better place–a better home–for all.

The invasion of the sovereign nation Ukraine by the Russian Federation represents the antithesis of these values. We are outraged by the violence that Vladimir Putin has inflicted upon the Ukrainian people. We unequivocally condemn his act of war, and categorically reject the malicious distortions of history by which he seeks to justify it. We stand strong with all of those who resist it—from those in Ukraine who fight for their freedom, to the Russian citizens who risk losing theirs by engaging in anti-war protest. Our thoughts remain with the people and democratically elected leaders of Ukraine, and with everyone in the Pioneer Valley who stands to lose friends and family in this senseless conflict. No to war! Ні війні! Нет войне!

Faculty

Faculty To Be Announced 

Daniel Brooks(link is external)(Russian and Eurasian Studies)
Jeremy King(link is external) (History)
Peter Scotto(link is external) (Russian and Eurasian Studies)

*Certificate Advisor

Justin Cammy(link is external) (Jewish Studies, World Literatures)
Sergey Glebov*(link is external) (History)
Thomas Roberts(link is external) (Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies)

Vera Shevzov(link is external)* (Religion)

*Certificate Advisor

Audrey Altstadt(link is external) (History)
Olga Gershenson(link is external) (Judaic and Near Eastern Studies)
Julie Hemment(link is external)* (Anthropology)
Lauren McCarthy(link is external) (Legal Studies)
Robert Rothstein(link is external) (Slavic Studies, Emeritus)
Regine Spector(link is external) (Political Science)

*Certificate Advisor

Certificate Requirements

This certificate program offers students the opportunity to take advantage of the significant multidisciplinary resources in the Five Colleges on Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The certificate consists of a minimum of six courses. Courses applied to the certificate may also be used to fulfill major requirements. The list of courses fulfilling particular requirements is maintained and regularly updated by the Five College Committee for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.

Course Requirements

A. The program's core course, normally taken in the first or second year. The core course is offered every year on a rotating basis at one of the campuses and introduces an interdisciplinary perspective on the historical and contemporary experiences of the peoples of Russia, Eurasia (here understood as the former republics of the Soviet Union) and East (and Central) Europe. The course includes guest lectures by noted specialists in the Five Colleges.

B. Five additional elective courses, distributed as indicated below. (Independent study courses may be included with approval from the student's campus program advisor.) 

C. At least four courses, including the core course, must be taken within the Five Colleges.

Language Requirement

Students receiving the certificate must possess proficiency in a language of one of the certificate regions equivalent to the level achieved after four semesters of post-secondary course work. This proficiency may be demonstrated by course work or examination.

Study Abroad

Students are encouraged to study abroad in one of the certificate regions.

Elective Course Distribution

In choosing the five elective courses satisfying the certificate requirements, the following guidelines should be observed:

Courses should be drawn from more than one of the three geographical areas: Russia, Eurasia (here understood as the former republics of the Soviet Union) and Eastern (and Central) Europe.

  • At least one of the elective courses must focus on a period before the 20th century.
  • At least one course must be taken from each of the following disciplinary categories: history, social sciences and humanities/arts. No single course can fulfill more than one disciplinary distribution requirement. 
  • Elementary or intermediate language courses cannot be included as one of the five electives. A language course beyond the intermediate level can be counted toward one of the electives.
  • Credit for one-time courses, special topics courses and transfer or study abroad courses requires approval from the home campus faculty advisor to the program.

Courses

Note that if you don't see classes from all campuses currently listed, they will appear as the campuses release their course schedules for the semester. The five campuses release their schedules on different dates. Visit this page for specific dates.

Spring 2025 Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Courses

Subject
Course #
Sect #
Course Title
Instructor(s)
Institution
Meeting Times
Subject
ENGL
Course #
320
Sect #
01
Course Title
Lit as Translation
Instructor(s)
Anston Bosman
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Subject
EUST
Course #
238
Sect #
01
Course Title
USSR During Cold War
Instructor(s)
Sergey Glebov
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Subject
EUST
Course #
303
Sect #
01
Course Title
Lit as Translation
Instructor(s)
Anston Bosman
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Subject
HIST
Course #
236
Sect #
01
Course Title
USSR During Cold War
Instructor(s)
Sergey Glebov
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
102
Sect #
01
Course Title
First-Year Russian II
Instructor(s)
Tatyana Babyonyshev
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
M/W/F | 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
102
Sect #
01F
Course Title
First-Year Russian II
Instructor(s)
Tatyana Babyonyshev
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
103
Sect #
01
Course Title
Acc. First-Year Russian
Instructor(s)
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
M/W/F | 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
103L
Sect #
01L
Course Title
Acc. First-Year Russian Lab
Instructor(s)
Tatyana Babyonyshev
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
202
Sect #
01
Course Title
Second-Year Russian II
Instructor(s)
Catherine Ciepiela
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
M/W/F | 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
202
Sect #
01F
Course Title
Second-Year Russian II
Instructor(s)
Catherine Ciepiela
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
237
Sect #
01
Course Title
USSR During Cold War
Instructor(s)
Sergey Glebov
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM
Subject
RUSS
Course #
304H
Sect #
01
Course Title
Adv Conversation & Comp
Instructor(s)
Tatyana Babyonyshev
Institution
Amherst College
Meeting Times
TU/TH | 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
Subject
RES
Course #
102
Sect #
01
Course Title
Elementary Russian
Instructor(s)
Daniel Brooks
Institution
Mount Holyoke College
Meeting Times
MWF 10:00AM-11:15AM
Subject
RES
Course #
102L
Sect #
01
Course Title
Elementary Russian Lab
Instructor(s)
Daniel Brooks
Institution
Mount Holyoke College
Meeting Times
M 08:55AM-09:45AM
Subject
RES
Course #
102L
Sect #
02
Course Title
Elementary Russian Lab
Instructor(s)
Daniel Brooks
Institution
Mount Holyoke College
Meeting Times
W 08:55AM-09:45AM
Subject
RES
Course #
210
Sect #
01
Course Title
Great Books: Lit of 19C Russ.
Instructor(s)
Daniel Brooks
Institution
Mount Holyoke College
Meeting Times
TTH 01:45PM-03:00PM
Subject
ENG
Course #
203
Sect #
01
Course Title
Western Classics-Translatn II
Instructor(s)
Torleif Persson
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
W 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM; M 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM
Subject
HST
Course #
241
Sect #
01
Course Title
Soviet Union in the Cold War
Instructor(s)
Serguei Glebov
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
M 3:05 PM - 4:20 PM; W 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Subject
JUD
Course #
362yl
Sect #
01
Course Title
Sem: T-Yiddishland
Instructor(s)
Justin Daniel Cammy
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
TH 9:25 AM - 12:05 PM
Subject
RES
Course #
100Y
Sect #
01
Course Title
Elementary Russian
Instructor(s)
Ilona Sotnikova
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
M W F 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM
Subject
RES
Course #
210
Sect #
01
Course Title
Enviro & Ecol in Russian Cultr
Instructor(s)
Thomas Lee Roberts
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
TU TH 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM
Subject
RES
Course #
222
Sect #
01
Course Title
Intermediate Russian II
Instructor(s)
Ilona Sotnikova
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
M W F 9:25 AM - 10:40 AM
Subject
RES
Course #
332
Sect #
01
Course Title
Advanced Russian
Instructor(s)
Daniel Brooks
Institution
Smith College
Meeting Times
TU TH 9:25 AM - 10:40 AM
Subject
HISTORY
Course #
316
Sect #
01
Course Title
History of the U.S.S.R.
Instructor(s)
Audrey Altstadt
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
TU TH 10:00AM 11:15AM
Subject
HISTORY
Course #
450
Sect #
02
Course Title
JYW Seminar in History
Instructor(s)
Anna Taylor
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
TU TH 2:30PM 3:45PM
Subject
POLISH
Course #
120
Sect #
01
Course Title
Elementary Polish II
Instructor(s)
Jeremi Marek Szaniawski,Luke Jackmauh
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
M W F 10:10AM 11:00AM
Subject
RUSSIAN
Course #
120
Sect #
01
Course Title
Elementary Russian II
Instructor(s)
Anna Shkireva
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
M W F 9:05AM 9:55AM
Subject
RUSSIAN
Course #
120
Sect #
02
Course Title
Elementary Russian II
Instructor(s)
Anna Shkireva
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
M W F 10:10AM 11:00AM
Subject
RUSSIAN
Course #
240
Sect #
01
Course Title
Intermed Russian II
Instructor(s)
Anna Shkireva
Institution
UMass Amherst
Meeting Times
M W F 1:25PM 2:15PM

Study Abroad

Semester and Academic Year Programs

Council on International Educational Exchange(link is external): Prague

Study abroad for a semester or academic year. Central European Studies program run by CIEE, with courses available at Charles University and Prague Film and Television School. Czech language classes in addition to Czech literature, culture and film.  

CET: Central European Studies (link is external)

Study abroad for a semester or academic year. Organized by CET Academic Programs, a study abroad organization. Programs based in Prague. Choice of Central European Studies, Film Production, Jewish Studies or New Media.  

NYU Prague(link is external)

Study abroad for a semester or academic year. Program run and operated by New York University. Non-NYU students apply as visiting students. Full range of courses, including language courses in Czech, Polish and Russian. 

Resources

Amherst Center for Russian Culture(link is external)
Through the generous gift of Thomas P. Whitney '37, Amherst College has acquired what has generally been considered the world's largest private holding of Russian books, manuscripts, newspapers and periodicals. 

Lorna M. Peterson Prize
The Lorna M. Peterson Prize supports scholarly and creative work by undergraduate students taking part in Five College programs. The $500 prize is awarded annually based on nominations from Five College programs.

Contact Us

Program Director:

Sergey Glebov(link is external)Five College Professor of History

Five College Staff Liaison:

April Shandor, Academic Programs Coordinator