BA - Russian Literature and Culture in New York United States | Columbia University

The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures focuses on exploring the cultures, literary works, and languages of Russia and other Slavic regions. Our teaching and research emphasize both the unique characteristics of these cultures and their historical and modern-day connections with other societies worldwide. Beyond literature, we examine diverse aspects including cinema, theater, politics, visual arts, music, media, religious philosophy, critical theory, and intellectual history through an interdisciplinary lens.

Our courses attract students with varied academic pursuits. Numerous classes are conducted in English using English-language materials and require no prior coursework. This makes our program accessible not only to majors but also to students from other literature disciplines, those studying history or political science with a Slavic focus, and individuals drawn to the subject for intellectual or practical purposes.

We offer comprehensive Russian language instruction from beginner to advanced levels, including specialized courses for heritage speakers. To enhance language skills, we provide literature and culture classes where students read original texts and participate in Russian-language discussions. The department also teaches three proficiency levels of Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian (plus culture courses in English). All language classes emphasize developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities alongside cultural knowledge.