Putin and the Politics of Post-Soviet Russia

Module overview

This module provides an overview of major political, social and economic developments in Russia since 1991, and how they have been informed by a sense of Russian history. After the fall of the Cold War, Russia has found that it is no longer a superpower, and it has struggled to find a world role. The domestic and economic settlement in the country has also seen major changes, and life has changed in remarkable and sometimes dramatic ways for millions of ordinary Russian people. The primary focus on the module is to help us to understand contemporary Russia: lectures and seminars will examine themes and events that can help us to recognize in what ways Russia has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. But these debates will be placed in historical context: Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, and changing conceptions of national identity, can only be understood in the context of Russia’s history and the legacy of the turbulent twentieth century.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Historicize the major characteristics of the Russian political system
Identity and explain the key characteristics of Putin and Putinism and place these in historical context
Understand the origins of major problems in Russian domestic life

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Utilise and evidence effective time management
Critically assess a range of evidence
Communicate your ideas effectively in written formats

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Changing conceptions of Russia and its world role from the Russian people
The historical roots of debates relating to, for instance, the demise of communism, Putin’s rise, Russian national identity and changing foreign policy objectives
The ideology of modern Russia and how it has evolved since 1991

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include: •Lectures, which may include some group work and/or participation, such as reading primary sources •Seminars including detailed reading and analysis of primary sources – including texts, images or objects Learning activities include: •In depth analysis of primary sources •Preparatory reading and individual study •Individual participation in seminars, group work and short presentations on seminar themes Discussion in seminars will help you to develop your ideas on a topic, to analyse a range of source material and to articulate a critical argument.

Study time
Type	Hours
Lecture	12
Completion of assessment task	50
Seminar	12
Preparation for scheduled sessions	50
Revision	26
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Robert Service (2009). A History of Modern Russia. London.

Sophie Pinkham (2016). Black Square: Adventures in the Post-Soviet World. London.

Mike Bowker and Cameron Ross (eds.) (1999). Russia after the Cold War. London.

Marlene Laurelle (ed.) (2009). Russian Nationalism and the National Reassertion of Russia. London.

Martin McCauley (2001). Bandits, Gangsters and the Mafia: Russia, the Baltic States and the CIS since 1992. London.

Richard Sakwa (2007). Putin: Russia’s Choice. London.

Sarah Oates (2006). Television, Democracy and Elections in Russia. London.

Peter Pomarantsev (2015). Nothing is True and Everything is Possible. London.

Vladimir Putin (2000). First Person. New York.

Gregory Freeze (ed.) (2009). Russia: A History. Oxford.

Sean P. Roberts (2007). Putin’s United Russia Party. London.

Mikhail Tsypkin (ed.) (2008). Russia’s Security and the War on Terror. London.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1996). Memoirs. London.

Richard Sakwa (2008). Russian Politics and Society. London.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	60%
Written assignment	40%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Resubmit assessments	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Written assignment	60%
Written assignment	40%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External