Intensive Professional Programs
Direction «International Relations»

Identities, History, and Culture in the Caucasus and Beyond

Duration: 2 months (September-October)
Language: English

About the program

Lecture courses of this intensive professional program are devoted to the clash of identities, divisive historical legacies as used in politics, and social engineering in Eurasia and beyond. Recognized authorities in history and “historical politics” will teach classes and guide student research in the region. The module focuses on the South Caucasus and includes field work in Armenia and Georgia. By working with EUSP’s world-class professors and leading scholars from these countries, program participants are provided an exceptional opportunity to conduct unique case studies. The program also provides students the opportunity to study regional cultures and their distinctive characteristics.

Who is it for?

  • MA or PhD students seeking to deepen their knowledge in the regional studies of Russia and Eurasia, and learn more about Armenia and Georgia. The intensive program format allows participants to learn much and enrich their thesis research within a short time.
  • Specialists in history, political studies and international relations who require a better understanding of a crucial and extraordinary region of the post-Soviet space
  • Journalists who want to be able to demonstrate competency in up-to-date analysis of regional specifics

How is the program arranged?

The program takes place in Yerevan, Armenia, with a two week trip to Tbilisi, Georgia. Students will be provided with onsite administrative support and academic guidance, extracurricular activities and access to Saint Petersburg-based services.

In addition to the core courses of the program, students will be immersed in a Russian language program tailored to various levels for maximum effectiveness.

In addition, EUSP’s revamped international programs include an academic writing course. This course aims to improve the appropriate writing skills of all participants — skills for writing final essays in their discipline and articles for print and other media. These skills will help students apply and disseminate their knowledge of the subject in the future.

The program can be taken either as a part of EUSP’s four-module Russian and Eurasian Studies Program or as a separate unit.

What do you get?

  • Invaluable knowledge from world-class scholars
  • Unparalleled access to a network of the area’s international professional community
  • Lifelong memories of a beautiful trip
  • Diploma with professional qualification granted

Courses

Heritage and Memory Through the Soviet Past and Post-Soviet Lens

The course focuses on the ideologies and practices of heritage preservation in the Soviet Union and their legacies in the post-Soviet space. We will discuss how politics and ideology affect the value and price of historical heritage, and how the discourse of heritage affects politics and ideology. We will examine different forms of transforming the present into a usable past and discuss its relationship to national and local identities within and beyond the USSR.

Battle for the Past: Politics Altering History

In this course we will discuss, first, the reasons and, second, various forms of the political influence upon historical narratives and juxtapose them to the academic understanding of the relationships between Past and Present. Most of the examples will be drawn from the recent developments in Russia and the United States with some addition of European, Asian and other experiences. Why did BLM activists and Ukrainian radicals remove monuments? Why do the Russians celebrate some new holidays but forget about others? Who owns history in contemporary societies? All of these and many other questions will be addressed in the course.

Different Paths out of the Soviet Past: The Armenian and Georgian Experiences

—

Post-Soviet Cultural Heritage in Armenia

—

Academic writing

—

Russian language

—

Armenian language (elective for additional fee)

—

Teachers

Ekaterina Melnikova

Associate Professor, Department of History; Senior Researcher, Center for Applied Research

Cost

How to apply?

  1. Send an email to international@eu.spb.ru with “Identities, History, and Culture in the Caucasus and Beyond Application” in the subject line and ask any questions you might have.
  2. Fill out the application form you receive.
  3. Write a motivation letter.
  4. Have an interview with the academic director of the program.
  5. Receive confirmation of your enrollment.