Russia: Tsars, Tsarinas, and Terrorists In this course we will follow Russia’s development, expansion and transformation from its earliest beginnings to the revolutionary cataclysms of the early 20th century. How and why did Russia come to dominate a vast Eurasian space? How did Russia’s Tsars and Tsarinas exert control over diverse cultures, languages, religions and peoples? What impact did this have on the lives of their subjects? How was Russian identity defined within the context of a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional empire? Central themes will include political governance, imperial expansion, ethnic relations, religious identity, social upheaval, and the emergence of the radical intelligentsia. Pre-1800 3 hrs lect./disc.

Contested Kyiv: Ukranian-Russian Relations in Historical Context Kyiv: capital of the Ukrainian nation? Or Kiev: cradle of Russian civilization? Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2021 claim that “Russians and Ukrainians were one people – a single whole” was a geopolitical maneuver; nonetheless, it highlighted a deeply intertwined and contested history. In this course we will explore the multifaceted history of Kyiv from its founding to the present day in order to better understand the entangled histories of the contemporary Ukrainian and Russian states. Central to our discussions will be primary and secondary sources that offer conflicting dynastic, religious and national histories which have sought to claim Kyiv as their own. We will also probe Kyiv’s Jewish past to better understand the region’s complex multi-confessional and multi-ethnic past. 3 hrs sem.

Nietzsche on Art, Poetry, Music: Origins and Influences In this intensive reading course we will examine the widespread influences of Nietzsche’s philosophy of art, poetry, and music on European and Eurasian philosophy and culture. We will explore both Nietzsche’s inheritances from ancient Greek thought and contested legacies for culture and politics across Europe and Eurasia in the Twentieth Century. Readings will be selected from Nietzsche’s primary works (The Birth of Tragedy, Thus Spoke Zarathustra and others) as well as the creative output of his intellectual disciples and detractors. We will begin with an analysis of selected works from ancient Greek tragedy and philosophy that most influenced the philosopher, and then turn to a close study of Nietzsche’s own writings. We will conclude by exploring philosophical, musical, and artistic works inspired by Nietzsche’s ideas.

Musicking Power and Resistance Why has music been considered a threat to power, and thus been censured or banned in various geographic and historical moments? Why and how has it served as a form of resistance and protest that has given the oppressed a voice in others? We will use these questions as guiding frameworks for exploring how music has related with power and resistance in a global context. Engaging with music’s sonic and extra-sonic elements, we will develop skills for analyzing how these elements have shaped spiritual, political, social, and economic forms of power and resistance in a series of case studies drawn from different time periods and geographic locations. Course activities will include reading, writing, music and video analyses, performance-related activities and concert attendance, as well as lectures and discussions. No prior musical training required.

Violence, Trauma and Historical Memory in the South Caucasus In 1991, independent Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia emerged from the dissolution of the USSR. Despite optimistic hopes, all three countries were riven by war. In 2022, a new wave of Russian emigres fleeing conscription reawakened memories of colonial oppression. This course examines social, cultural and political attempts to overcome the violent legacies inherited from colonial, Soviet and post-Soviet conflicts. We will engage in reading first-hand memoir accounts and interviews, official government documents, and theoretical work in memory studies and conflict transformation and assess both the causes for conflict as well as its long-term impacts. We will focus on the questions: how should a society heal from its traumatic past? Is healing even possible? What role does historical truth and reconciliation play in building contemporary reality?

The Russian Idea In 1866, poet Fedor Tiutchev claimed “Russia cannot be understood by the mind […] Russia can only be believed in”. This mystical interpretation of Russian history and culture is a common trope employed by scholars, artists, and political actors. But why did this conception emerge, how has it evolved, and why does it hold such appeal? We will explore various iterations of the “Russian Idea” in literature, art, philosophy, and politics. In addition to reading excerpts from influential interpreters (Dostoevsky, Tolstoi, Solovev, Berdiaev), we will explore contemporary official and unofficial Russian discourse. Questions we will consider include: What different iterations of the “Russian Idea” have been offered and how have they been connected to state policy (historical and contemporary)? What relationship exists between cultural/artistic production, philosophical ideas, and politics?

Nuclear Cold War: Americans, Soviets and the Fate of the World Fears of nuclear Armageddon gripped the world after 1945. How is it that nuclear war never broke out by the time the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991? This course traces the complex relationship between nuclear security, international relations, and domestic politics through the initial development of nuclear weapons, Cold War arms race, emergence of independent Russia, and contemporary tensions. How did shifting social and political environments shape nuclear security concerns? Why, despite the end of the ideological Cold War, did the early 21st century witness the collapse of bilateral arms control and nonproliferation cooperation between Russia and the USA? This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.

Revolutionary Russia The Russian Revolution was a continuum of violence that, through years of civil war and political, social and cultural revolutions, sought to transform the basis of human existence and usher in a utopian future, imposing “Marxist” values upon diverse local cultures and contexts. We will examine the rise and fall of revolutionary sentiment from late-imperial terrorism through the establishment of Stalin’s dictatorship. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, students will assess both the manifold ambitions of the revolutionary years and how memory of 1917 has been used to justify, critique and at times repossess aspects of Russian/Soviet history. This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities. 3 hrs sem.

Saints, Heathens and Heretics: Belief and Unbelief in Imperial Russia Though Orthodox Christianity is often viewed as synonymous with Russian culture, the Russian Empire was home to a dizzying array of religious faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and varying forms of Christianity. Through primary and secondary source analysis (including textual, visual and aural sources), we will explore the challenges and opportunities this multi-confessional reality posed to Russia’s rulers and the official Orthodox Church. We will also probe the question of what religious faith (in its multiple iterations) meant for subjects from across the social strata and geographic expanse of the empire. How did one lead a spiritually fulfilled life? How did members of different religious faiths interact? What was the relationship between religious and ethnic identities? 3 hrs sem.

The Soviet Experiment In this course we will explore the Soviet attempt to forge a fundamentally new form of human life. Starting with the revolutionary movement of the early 20th century, we will examine the development and ultimate downfall of the USSR. What was Soviet communism (both in idea and in practice)? How did its implementation and development transform local identities (religious, ethnic/national, social)? How did internal and external factors (political, social, economic) transform Soviet policy and life? Was the collapse of the USSR inevitable? Special attention will be paid both to political leaders and ordinary people (believers, collaborators, victims, dissidents, outcasts). 3 hrs lect./disc.

Writing History In this course students discuss historical methods and writing strategies to create convincing historical narratives. With the approval and guidance of the professor, students complete a 20-25-page research paper based on primary and secondary sources. Students take this course in the fall of their junior year or with permission in the spring.  If students are away for the entire junior year, they can take the course in the fall of their senior year. 3 hr. sem.

Soviet Science from Sputnik to Chernobyl In 1957, the USSR launched the world’s first artificial satellite. Just four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit Earth. Yet by the 1980s, Soviet development had fostered environmental devastation, a crisis made manifest with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In this course we will explore the Soviet state’s fascination with science as a means through which to build a utopian future. How did science and technology interact with state power? How was science implicated in Cold War tensions? How did Soviet “atomic culture” affect ordinary citizens?

Music, Power, and Resistance in World History This class examines the conflicting relationship between music, power and resistance in world history. Beginning with ancient Greece, we will discuss the relationship between music and power in a wide range of cultural and historical contexts, including music’s relation to religious power (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), political power (China, Europe, North and South America, Africa), and social power (gender, ethnicity, class). Questions of state censorship, propaganda and musical expressions of dissent will be highlighted, as well as the interconnection between aesthetic choices, social status and political views. Musical sources will range from classical to popular forms. No prior musical training required. (formally HIST 0116) 3 hrs sem.

Rebecca Mitchell

Reviews and ratings for Rebecca Mitchell at Middlebury College.Rebecca Mitchell teaches Tsars, Tsarinas, & Terrorists, Contested Kyiv, Nietzsche Origins & Influences and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Rebecca Mitchell good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This class was really enjoyable and fascinating! It was really fast paced but completely manageable. I learned so much and am certain that Professor Mitchell was the perfect person to teach this course!

I really liked this class and was very interesting to take, especially given the modern conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The readings are really long and it does take a lot of time to do, but she is a relatively easy grader. 

It is very clear that Professor Mitchell has a large breadth of knowledge that she is so excited to share when it comes to russian history. She really expects that students take an active role in their own learning with weekly discussion boards and new readings for each class. She also has a very interesting teaching style since she expects that you bring up evidence from the readings to support what she says in lecture. She doesn't let students get away with the assumption that since she is saying it is true and forces them to prove every point that is made in class which I find very helpful. 