Spring 2025: March 12 — June 25
Subject: ANTH
Course Level: 300
Number of Credits: 4 U.S. / 8 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: Wed, Fri 17:10 – 18:30 CET (Berlin) | 11:10 AM – 12:30 PM EDT (New York)
Distribution Area: Social Analysis
Language of Instruction: Russian
Course Prerequisites: Russian B2 / Equivalent or higher

The course is focused on national policy and ethnic relations in the region of Central and Eastern Europe in the post-communist period. The uniqueness of the course lies in the fact that the changing dynamics of ethnic and linguistic relations in the region are presented from the perspective of minority communities. Each lecture is focused on a specific case that represents a particular linguistic, ethnic, national or religious minority community. Deprived of their own national state, as well as any form of political and administrative autonomy, such communities are subject to powerful assimilation pressure from the majority groups of their country. The policy of activists and intellectual elites claiming to represent such communities, as well as the analysis of the ethnic and linguistic discourse they produce, allow us to take a new look at the nature of the construction of symbolic social boundaries and specific markers that affirm and support these boundaries.
The course is designed for students who have already mastered the basics of ethnopolitical science or ethnosociology, but could be useful to anyone interested in the current political situation in Central and Eastern Europe. Classes will be regularly accompanied by the author’s unique archive, collected during field research in the countries of the region.

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.