Russian Studies

Degree: Master of Arts in Russian Studies
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September, February
Language of instruction: English
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The Leiden Master’s Programme in Russian Studies comprises a balanced combination of different disciplines, making it unique in the Netherlands. You will be part of a broadly oriented programme that consists of four key academic disciplines: history, political science, economics and culture.

You do not need to have a command of Russian to be able to follow this master’s programme.

The information about this programme is available in the following languages:

The aim of the programme is to enable you to reach a scholarly level of interdisciplinary expertise on Russia. Building on the solid command of Russian life and history you developed in the bachelor’s programme, you will go on to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of present-day Russian society.

You will acquire profound knowledge of, and insights into, the history, politics, economic situation and contemporary culture of Russia. On the basis of Western (or Russian) sources, you will be able to formulate well-founded statements about developments in Russia and to critically evaluate assessments made by others.

Dr. Kern

“Russia today is more than ever on our European threshold.”

“Russia is often said to be an enigma. In the hope of finding a solution, I’ve spent much time studying different perceptions of Russian history. It is amazing how diverse these perceptions are. This inspired my dissertation ‘Thinking about Russia’ [Denken over Rusland, 2008] on the theme of the development of Russian Studies as an academic discipline.

I examined how, after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, Russia tried to form closer ties with Europe, and how Europe at the time discovered Russia as a new and promising partner. This growing acquaintance engendered high expectations on both sides, but also led to a great deal of confusion and disappointment. This phenomenon was reinforced by the Soviet experiment; and still today, it complicates the relations between Russia and Europe.

The Russian Studies programme in Leiden offers a unique combination of language studies and regional studies, concentrated on Russia. This master’s is a modular course in which the student takes four seminars on specialised subjects and writes a thesis on a subject of his or her choosing.

The programme addresses such themes as the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, the international position of the Russian Federation, the image of modern society in Russian cinema, and the history of the Russian nationality question. This approach sheds light on the region with the help of insights from different disciplines.

We also maintain international contacts and arrange exchanges with Russia. Because Russia today is more than ever on our European threshold, it remains well worth studying.”