Russian Studies

Russian Studies: Major, Minor

Russia’s importance in the world continues to grow and evolve. To understand the richness and complexity of Russia’s thousand-year-old history and culture you need to view it from various perspectives. The Russian Studies Program courses, major, and minor are designed to be interdisciplinary — combining the study of Russia’s art and culture with its language, history, religious traditions, geography, and more.

Our vibrant curriculum will provide you with superior language training and skills in critical thinking and analytical writing, while ensuring broad literacy in Russian history, art, and culture. In addition to all levels of language study, the Russian program offers an array of literature and culture courses that focus on different centuries (early Russia, 19th century, 20th century, contemporary Russia), genres (epic and folk tale, drama, poetry, prose, film), and geographical regions (Kievan Rus, European Russia, Siberia). We encourage you to expand the breadth of your studies with Russian related courses in other disciplines such as history, economics, philosophy, and political science.

To better understand today’s Russia, you will interact with our native Russian foreign language assistant (FLA) on campus and have the opportunity to study abroad at our affiliated university in Moscow. The Russian Studies Program and the student-run Russian Club also sponsor film series, artists’ performances, speakers, and on-campus conferences that will keep you engaged in ongoing cultural, political, and economic happenings in Russia.

Program Highlights

  • The Russian Studies language curriculum uses up-to-date, innovative methods to accelerate learning
  • Literature, art, and culture courses develop 21st-century skills like critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration
  • You can study abroad on our own Holy Cross program in Moscow — the cultural, economic and political center of Russia
  • Holy Cross Russian Studies students are singled out for jobs, graduate school and fellowships 
image of the university of Daugavpils, Latvia
Study Abroad

Holy Cross faculty oversee our program in Daugavpils, Latvia.

students in a group
Opportunities

Russian Studies students land exciting internships in the Washington Semester Program and produce original research.

two students at a computer
Courses

Our interdisciplinary courses frame Russia’s rich cultural and artistic traditions in its political, economic, and social history.

Russian Studies News

cityscape of Kiev and Ukrainian flag waving in the wind
WATCH: Holy Cross Faculty Experts Discuss Russia’s Attack on Ukraine
From left to right: Jeff Reppucci '14, Madeleine Fontenay '21, Helen Conroy '21 and Emily Cook '21
Holy Cross Students, Alumnus Receive Distinguished Scholarships
The prestigious Fulbright and Knight-Hennessy scholarships showcase the talent of Holy Cross students
Student Health Ambassadors set up in front of the Jo.
New Student Health Ambassadors Group Provides Peer-to-Peer Resources
A playlist of pop and dance songs, from Nick Jonas to Britney Spears, reverberated through the speaker on a table outside “The Jo,” as the Joanne Chouinard-Luth Recreation and Wellness Center is known. It was the second week of March, …