Russian is both an official language of the UN and one of the world’s most commonly spoken languages. It has been designated a “critical language” by the U.S. government, and has been identified as a repository language for world knowledge. Russian is widely used across much of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and is appearing increasingly in major cities in Western Europe and the U.S. Russian is the language of some of the world’s greatest writers, composers, artists, performers, and scientists.
Contrary to popular belief, Russian is not difficult to learn—Rhodes Russian students and graduates provide living proof of that fact. They enjoy a variety of interdisciplinary courses (some taught in English) in Russian language, literature, culture, political science, religious studies, philosophy, and linguistics. Approximately 60% of Rhodes graduates with a Russian Studies major or minor attend top graduate schools in a discipline related to Russian. In recent years Rhodes Russian Studies graduates have earned advanced degrees in Russian language and literature, International Studies, Slavic folklore, Business, Physics, and Law. Additionally, many Russian course offerings overlap with other majors, and count towards F-credits for nonmajors, majors, and minors alike.
Rhodes offers a Russian Studies major and minor and Russian Studies-IS bridge major. There is also variety of extracurriculars that Russian students can participate in, such as the Rhodes Chapter of the National Slavic Honor Society (Dobro Slovo), Russian Club, and Maymesters in St. Petersburg, Russia (mid-May – mid-June of every year), Semester and Year Study-Abroad at Novgorod State University (Novgorod) and the Smolny Institute (St. Petersburg).
Study Abroad/Fulbright
The Russian department at Rhodes has produced a number of Fulbright scholars who have gone on to find success in countries like Estonia and Finland.
Partake in a virtual tour of Moscow with the School of Russian and Asian Studies, including the famous Red Square (Красная площадь), department stores and Russian grocery stores!
Since 2008 onward, Russian students have gone to St. Petersburg and Novgorod for Maymesters that include many linguistic and cultural educational opportunities. The Summer Intensive Study Program in Russia offers three and a half weeks of courses in Russian Language (taught in Russian at all levels), several excursions in the city, with an opera and/or ballet performances; and a trip to Novgorod. Students live in two-room suites in a students’ dormitory. Rooms are furnished and have a separate bathroom. Transportation to school and scheduled events is provided by the host institution.
More information about study abroad programs is available at the Buckman Center for International Education.
Russian Club
The Russian Club at Rhodes offers a fun, relaxed environment for students to build relationships outside the classroom and practice their Russian skills, as well as learn about Russian culture. Activities include Russian-language movie nights (movies like Cranes are Flying, Brother, Diamond Arm, Peter FM, The Last Knight), food events for all clubs, Maslenitsa (Russian Mardi Gras), cookie decorating, doll-making workshop, Russian-language board games in the language center. We elect officers and leaders in the group once a year around April.
Tutoring
Tutoring is an excellent opportunity for upper-level Russian students to improve their language skills outside the classroom, as well as build skills that will help them long after their time at Rhodes. Tutors will help other Russian student for 1-2 hours (paid) every week on a consistent schedule that will work with the tutor’s own schedule.
Dobro Slovo
Dobro Slovo is the National Slavic Honor Society that serves as a means for the recognition of academic excellence in the study of Slavic languages, literature, history and culture. There are over 130 local chapters nationwide with a total membership of over 6,000.
Department Course Offerings & Overlap
The Russian department at Rhodes offers a variety of courses taught in both Russian and English. Majors and minors in Russian will complete the language proficiency sequence and are able to take multiple upper-level Russian classes to improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills, such as Analytical Reading, Directed Inquiry and capstone projects, theories of translation, literary analysis, film theory, architecture and art history, and political and cultural science.
There are a number of Russian departmental offerings taught in English that cover a variety of subjects. They are open to any student at the college. These courses often satisfy Foundation requirements and count towards other departments’ majors and minors. Any student is encouraged to take Russian 101 to start their F10 track.
Our students talk about their experiences studying Russian at Rhodes and abroad.
We've gathered some helpful resources for learning Russian, including computer tips for Russian and sites for viewing Russian-language films.
Every Rhodes graduate is required to have developed intermediate proficiency in a second language, and we want to place you in the appropriate level if you are continuing a language you have already studied.
