The course will begin with the emergence of the Kievan Rus in the 860s, which led to the Tsarist States dominated by the Romanovs; go on to the 74 years of the Soviet Union; and conclude with the Russian Federation. Using PowerPoint presentations, we will consider, among others, the Ivans (both the Great and the Terrible), Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Lenin, Stalin, and Putin. Additional topics will include the Viking influences, the place of the Russian Orthodox Church, various invasions from east, west, north, and south, becoming part of the Western Europe, Stalin’s purges, the Cold War, perestroika (restructuring the Russian economy), and glasnost (greater openness). We will conclude with Putin’s consolidation of authority and efforts to reacquire lands viewed as historically Russian.

Session 1: Russian Emergence, 860-1584

Session 2: Tsarist State (particularly the Romanov Dynasty), 1584-1917

Session 3: Soviet Union, 1917-1991

Session 4: Russian Federation, 1994-present

              Subject: history

Dick Harms, curator emeritus of the Calvin Archives and Heritage Hall, has presented dozens of CALL classes on a variety of historical topics (most recently shipping on the Great Lakes) and led a number of bus tours of Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Western Michigan (including the Lighthouses from Grand Haven to Mackinaw).