No class.

First class meeting. No homework.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA I. Find section "Мифологический словарь. Гл. ред. Мелетинский" and read five articles about the following characters of Russian mythology:
Баба Яга
Кощей Бессмертный
Леший
Водяной
Русалка.

Prepare to describe and discuss these characters.

Read «Гуси-Лебеди», русская народная сказка, with help of «Трудные слова и выражения» at the same site.
Try to understand as much as you can and prepare to discuss the story, its actors/characters and its language.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA I.

Read the poem "У Лукоморья" by A. Pushkin and the teacher's comments that follow it.

Practice reading the poem aloud.

Watch:

Видеоклип «У лукоморья», традиционная версия;

Видеоклип «У лукоморья» by SimeonMetafrast;

Видеоклип «У лукоморья», автор Аркадий Свиридо

and prepare to discuss these versions.

Read/skim for information the article «Александр Сергеевич Пушкин. Краткая биография».

Be ready to discuss it (not in much detail, just major points) or at least ask questions about it.

Additional (optional) reading: «Сегодня день рождения Пушкина»

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA I. Read the lyrics of V. Vysotsky's song «Лукоморья больше нет». Prepare to compare them with the Pushkin's poem and explain/discuss what are the real life issues that the song addresses.

Listen to the audio recording of the song on YouTube at the same site.

At the same site read the article «Владимир Высоцкий. Биография». Prepare to talk about the most important facts and events of the bard's life.

At the same site, find the provided links and listen to the recordings of six other songs by Vysotsky on U Tube: «Что случилось в Африке», «О переселении душ», «Охота на волков», «кони привередливые», «Мишка Шифман», «Инструкция по поездке за рубеж». Print out the lyrics to these songs, read them and try to understand as much as you can.

Read one of these songs more closely then others and prepare to discuss it in class in more detail:

Here are the individual assignments:

«Что случилось в Африке» - Юра

«О переселении душ» - Елана

«Охота на волков» - Таня

«Кони привередливые» - Петя

«Мишка Шихман» - Стивен

«Инструкции перед поездкой за рубеж» - Катя

Prepare to ask questions about and discuss Vysotsky's work in class.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA I. Read "Заметки преподавателя" about the film "Огонь, вода и медные трубы".

Check out the film at the Uris Library course reserve (code: videodisc 1393) and watch it.

Most likely, you will find it difficult to understand the language in the film, and it's a good idea to use the subtitles (preferably the Russian, not the English ones).

You can also find this film on U Tube at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5028234764325865135#, but there is no the subtitles option there, so watching the film on DVD is highly recommended.

Be prepared for a class discussion about the film, its events and its lead characters.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA II.

Read " О фильме «Белое Солнце Пустыни». Заметки преподавателя".

At the same site open "Перлодром. «Белое солнце пустыни». Тексты и звукозапись...". Look up and listen to the most commonly used expressions from the film, so that you could recognize them in the context of the film (keep in mind that they appear on the list not in the same order as in the film).

Watch the film «Белое солнце пустыни», with Russian or English subtitles if necessary (Uris Library course reserve, call number: Videodisc 1406) and prepare to talk about its major events and characters.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA II. Read at least three out of four articles from this list:
1. "Тридцать пять лет назад...";
2. "Интервью с исполнителем роли Абдуллы, Народным артистом Грузии Кахи Кавсадзе";
3. "Белое солнце пустыни: госпожа Удача долго не улыбалась гарему";
4. "Александр Kарлюкевич. Белое солнце таланта. Интервью с режиссером Мотылем" (questions 5 to 9)
5. Владимир Мотыль: «Не за державу обидно - за сценаристов»

Prepare to retell and discuss these materials in class.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA II. Read the 3 chapters (each chapter equals one electronic page) of the screenplay "Белое солнце пустыни" that are assigned to you individually by the teacher.

Find the corresponding episode in the film (Uris Library course reserve, call number: Videodisc 1406).

Compare the two in terms of the content, action and visual representations.

The individual assignments are as followed:

Elana - chapter 1, 2, 3 and 7
Yura - chapter 2, 3, 4 and 7
Steven -chapter 4, 5, 6 and 7
Petya - chapter 1, 5, 6 and 7

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA II. Read the lyrics of six Bulat Okudzhava's songs posted on the course web site and try to understand as much as you can and prepare to discuss these texts. Use dictionary when necessary.
Listen to each song audio recording on YouTube (also posted on the web site) and prepare to discuss the songwriter's performances or his songs interpretations depending on the clip.

At the same site read the article «Булат Окуджава. Краткая биография». Prepare to talk about the most important facts and events of the bard's life.

Prepare to ask questions about and discuss Okudzhava's work in class.

Bring your reflection paper (300-350 words), and prepare to read it in class and/or talk about it. Visit the Course Site, Welcome page for the guidelines.

Prepare for a cultural material presentation: Visit the Course Site, Welcome page for the guidelines.

Submit the final draft of your essay.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA III Read the teacher's comments "О Гене и Чебурашке".

Watch the cartoons of the series about Cheburashkа: (Uris Library course reserve, call number 1389). Prepare to describe the events and discuss the central characters and ideas of these cartoons.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA III. Read "Эдуард Успенский. «Крокодил Гена и его друзья»", chapters 1 - 19. Prepare to retell the original story in as much detail as you can, and also to speak about its relation (so far) to the cartoons. Compare the portraits (in particular, the one of Cheburashka) in the book and the cartoon.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA III. Read "Эдуард Успенский. «Крокодил Гена и его друзья»", chapters 20 - 27. Prepare to retell the original story in as much detail as you can.

Compare the two: the literary source and the animation - with focus on the events and on the personal characteristics of the central characters. Prepare to discuss the socio-cultural issues addressed in both sources.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA III. Read the article

Александра Шевелева. "Чебурашку разбирают в суде"
and prepare to discuss the issues that it raises.

At the same site, look up Bayanov.net Веселые картинки...Чебурашка, Гена, Шапокляк. View at least 10 images there and prepare to discuss how various facts and styles of the popular culture mix together in these images /p>

Children popular poetry (and some prose too)

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA III. Read (for better practice reading aloud recommended):

1. Владимир Маяковский. Что такое хорошо, и что такое плохо
2. Яков Аким. Неумейка
3. Самуил Маршак. Рассказ о неизвестном герое
4. Валентина Осеева. Волшебное слово
5. Григорий Остер. Вредные советы, 1-12 or more

Prepare to discuss the texts and the values that they were designed to instill in their young readership.

Каникулы

Каникулы

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA IV. Go to: Лев Николаевич Толстой. Кавказский пленник and read the story. Prepare talk about the story, its events and its characters.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA IV. Go to «Перлодром. Популярные выражения из кинофильма «Кавказская пленница» and look through (skim) expressions presented there to become familiar in advance with some of the comedy's language highlights. There is no need to translate or memorize any of these materials for this class.

Watch the comedy «Кавказская пленница» (call number Videodisc 1391). Prepare to speak about the story and about the film's main characters including the trio "Трус", "Балбес" and "Бывалый".

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA IV.

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA IV.

Read:
1. О. Сапрыкина. В «Кавказской пленнице» Никулину в постель подложили карлика;
2. И. Мурашова «Кавказская пленница». Часть 2.
3. Гайдай, Леонид Иович. Биография
4. Актерские байки. Леонид Гайдай

Prepare to speak about the history, the process, and the most interesting episodes of filming «Кавказская пленница», and also talk about the film director, his life and works..

Visit the Course Site, Part 1, TEMA IV.

Watch short videoepisodes:Никулин и Шуйдин. На двоих, and Никулин и Шуйдин. Продавцы.

Read the following articles:
1. Владимир Грибанов «Клоун божьей милостью»,
2. Ольга Харламова «Любовь с первого взгляда. Об актере и клоуне Юрии Никулине».
3. Валерий Кичин. Клоуны всегда правы. В эти дни Юрию Никулину исполнилось бы 85 лет.

Prepare for a discussion of life and work of this famous clown and actor.

Optional assignment: Read some of the Анекдоты от Никулина on the same site.

Bring your reflection paper (300-350 words) and be prepared to read it in class and/or talk about it.
Visit the Course Site, Welcome page for the guidelines.

Prepare for a cultural material presentation.
Visit the Course Site, Welcome page for the guidelines. Submit the final draft of your essay.

Go to Uris Library and watch film «Асса» (call number for a DVD version is Videodisk 1400, and for VHS -Video 2489). Prepare to speak about the film, its leading characters and the ideas that they represent.

Look through the song lyrics handed out to you in your last class, or go to the Course Site, Part II, TEMA I and find them at "Песни из кинофильма Асса»". Prepare to discuss these songs in their relation to the story.

Visit the Course Site, Part II, TEMA I.
Everyone: read «Асса: 11 фактов о фильме» and (optional) «Асса (фильм) Википедия»
and also:
Yura and Elana: Валерий Кичин. «Анна на рельсах<»/b>;
Petya and Steven: А. Мазур, М. Львовски и др. «Анна снята»
and prepare to discuss these articles.

Visit the Course Site, Part II, TEMA I.
Read and prepare to discuss the following articles:
1. Виктория Грабовская. Борис Гребенщиков. Журнал «Сумбур»;
2. Виктор Робертович Цой.

Optional reading:
1. Сайт «Известия». Слово «БГ» мне не принадлежит.
2. Михаил Телехов. Котельную Цоя преследует рок.

Listen to and prepare to speak about the following songs:
Борис Гребенщиков и группа «Аквариум»: Поезд в огне and at least two other Grebenshchikov songs from the Course site;
Виктор Цой и группа «Кино»: any three songs from the Course site.

Print out for the class:
Борис Гребенщиков. Подборка текстов песен
and
Виктор Цой. Подборка текстов песен.

Reading the songs lyric before or after watching the videoclips of your choice will be helpful to you.

Visit the Course Site, Part II, TEMA II.
Read popular quotations from the film "Брат" at Кинопилот. Фильм «Брат» (1997). Цитаты. You'll need to scroll down a few clicks to find them.
Watch film Брат by director A. Balabanov (Uris library, call number Videodisc 1632)
Prepare to describe the events and discuss the central characters and major ideas of this film.

Visit the Course Site, Part II, TEMA II.
Go to Бодров, Сергей Сергеевич. Википедия and Сайт, посвященный Сергею Бодрову. Choose your own material for reading and discussion (biography, interview, memoirs, etc)
or
go to Nautilus pompilius в паутине. Официальный сайт группы and Nautilus pompilius songs clips and choose the material for reading and discussion (the history of the group, its songs authors, overview of their songs).

Prepare a 4 or 5 minutes oral report about any fact, work or product of Russian popular culture of your choice. Visit the Course Site, Welcome page for the guidelines.