Spring 2025: January 29 — February 26
Subject: LIT
Course Level: 200
Number of Credits: 1 U.S. / 2 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: Wed, Fri 17:50 – 19:10 CET (Berlin) | 11:50 AM – 1:10 PM EDT (New York)
Language of Instruction: Russian
Course Prerequisites: Russian B2 / Equivalent or higher

The main problem of today’s book market is the enormous demand for prose in the young adult genre and the relatively small number of successes in this genre. We don’t see anything comparable to the prose of Salinger or Harper Lee in the second half of the twentieth century, except for the wonderful novels of John Green or Alexander Furman (almost unknown to anyone). How to write about a modern teenager so that he wants to read about himself? In what genre and style should I write about the problems of human physiology and psychology at the most difficult stage of its development? Can teenagers talk about themselves? What is the reason for JK Rowling’s success? Is prose about teenage rebellion possible today and what are its prospects? What is the place of teenage social prose in the literature of the 21st century?

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:
Craft a reflective statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Smolny Beyond Borders online course. The file should be saved with your name and course title as the filename and uploaded accordingly. Your statement’s clarity and substance will significantly influence our selection. Convey your motivations and aspirations for this course succinctly but thoroughly. Kindly write your statement in the course’s Language of Instruction.

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.