The course aims to introduce students to the Russian-Soviet visual culture of the Stalin period.

What is there to see and what needs to be seen during the Stalin years in the USSR? Ideas and ideologies relating to vision and their materialisation in concrete forms will be analysed through the presentation and examination of the various fields of figuration, such as architecture, painting, graphics, the political manifesto, cinema, mass demonstrations, as well as objects related to the everyday life of the Soviet citizen.

The course aims to enable students to express what they have learnt in an effective and argued manner.

- Methodology of Visual Culture

- Russian and Soviet visual iconography and culture: tradition and revolution

- Soviet cultural mythologies

- Morphology of real socialism: monuments, paintings, posters, slogans, films, documentaries, public events, private objects

Knowledge and understanding: The student possesses knowledge sufficient to understand the contents of the discipline and of the specific subject of the course; demonstrates the ability to place him/herself at an advanced level, limited to some specific themes; understands the complexity of certain cultural phenomena, abandoning binary schemes and superficial analyses in favour of complex reasoning

Applying knowledge and understanding: The student applies knowledge to specific cultural products, demonstrating not only the ability to recognise the historical origins of cultural phenomena, but also to support arguments. 

Autonomy of judgement (making judgements): The student acquires the ability to reason in properly cultural, critical and autonomous terms, noting from time to time strengths and weaknesses within certain historically given critical readings; he/she is able to formulate personal hypotheses, also relating to topics not dealt with directly during the course.

Communication skills: The student communicates clearly and precisely, adopting the specialised vocabulary of the discipline. He/she is able to explain to a non-Russian-speaking interlocutor certain definitions that are central to Russian national identity and the foundations of visual culture studies.

Learning skills: The student has achieved a high degree of autonomy in study, demonstrates good methodological knowledge and is able to identify authoritative and reliable sources

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures with the aid of ppts; watching films, documentaries.

Innovative teaching methods

Course books

Piretto, Quando c'era l'URSS, Cortina 2020.

Piretto, Gli occhi di Stalin, Cortina 2010.

P. Bushkovitch, Breve storia della Russia. Dalle origini a Putin, Torino, Einaudi, 2013. 

Other materials will be provided during the course of the lectures and will be made available within the Moodle platform ' blended.uniurb.it

Assessment

Prova orale. Verrà valutata la capacità dello studente di comunicare il contenuto del corso in modo chiaro, efficace e coerente.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Independent study on texts indicated by the lecturer, in addition to those in the syllabus.

Please contact the lecturer in order to draw up a customised programme that takes into account the student's needs.

Assessment

Oral examination. The student's ability to communicate the course content clearly, effectively and coherently will be assessed.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.