(Recorded) History & Culture of Imperial Russia with Professor Carol (World, Russian)

NOTICE: This is an older course recorded with Adobe Connect and/or Vimeo recordings. We are currently working to replace the recordings with new Zoom recordings.  Please don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with any questions.

How to get the most out of Imperial Russia with Carol B. Reynolds, Ph.D.:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before attending class.

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Total Classes:  12

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: none

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested Credit: One full semester World History, Russian History, or Fine Arts

Class Instructor: Carol B. Reynolds, Ph.D

Instructor Email: carol@professorcarol.com

Course Description:  From its Christianization in 988 through the early Bolshevik years, we will journey in this course through the colorful history of Imperial Russia and discover the intrigue of its tsars, the strengths of its religion and history, and the astonishing beauty of its culture (via music, art, dance, theater, and architecture).

Weekly Outline:

  1. Russia and the West

  2. Orthodox Music and Art

  3. The Rurik Dynasty

  4. The Early Romanovs

  5. The Tsarina’s of the 18th Century

  6. The Accomplishments of Catherine the Great

  7. Napoleonic Russia / Romanticization of Folk Art

  8. Pushkin

  9. The Golden Age

  10. Russian Realism

  11. Final Flowering of Imperial Russia and the Avant-Garde

  12. End of Tsarist Russia

Course Materials: 

1.  The study materials for this course are found within Dr. Reynolds' website. Students of "Imperial Russia" must register there to access the pre-recorded lectures (one hour each) for each unit of this 12-unit course, as well as the assignments, lists of terms, quizzes, and exams. http://www.professorcarol.com/homeschool-connections-courses/.  A code will be provided  that allows HSC students a significant discount for these materials. The code (hsc2019ir) is currently active and will assist your purchase of the Circle of Scholars subscription (1/2 price = $30 for 4 months).

2.Useful for the course also is a supplementary text  Susanne Massie. Land of the Firebird.  Heart tree Press, 1980 that covers Russian cultural history from the 9th century through the Bolshevik Revolution. Copies are available widely, including in libraries and as used copies in paperback and hard copy. Click on the title for more information about ordering.

Homework:

In addition to the required pre-recorded class lectures, to be watched in advance of each HSC class, each unit contains review materials and a homework assignment that reinforces and expands the class lectures and sessions. These assignments are rich in visual images, music, and clips from historical documentaries. Approximate time needed for this course:1 hour per each unit's class lecture; assignments and individual review, 1 to 2 hours per unit; 1 hour for the HSC group session (pre-recorded on the HSC site). Students may also allow between 1 and 2 hours weekly for the recommended readings in Land of the Firebird.