Russian
2304: Russian Culture
Tutorial Questions: Weeks 1-5
Return
to Professor Qualin's Main Russian Culture Page
Please bring an orange scantron to class on Monday!
What is European Russia's
most
important river?
What is the approximate
population
of Russia today?
To which branch of the Indo-European language family does Russian belong?
Who are the East
Slavs?
Who were the Varangians?
Who was the first
Varangian
leader of Rus?
Who was the first Christian ruler
of Kievan Rus?
Who
christianized Kievan Rus?
Why did the prince who
christianized
Kievan Rus choose Christianity?
What did Oleg's army do as a sign of
victory
in Constantinople?
According to the chronicle,
how did Oleg die?
Who ruled during Kiev's golden age? What was
Kiev like at that time?
Whose
Pouchenie
(instructions to his children) contains advice on how to live, as well as
descriptions of his military and hunting exploits?
What Old Testament scene do Russian icon painters employ to represent
the trinity?
Whose hands does Christ hold in the Icon "Christ's
Descent into Hell"?
What city's
icons are known for their use of deep greens and reds?
What is at the base of the mountain in most Russian crucifixion icons?
Name three masters of Icon
painting.
Who is the legendary Moscow school icon painter
famous for the below icon of the old testament
trinity?
What do the figures represent?
What is an Iconostasis?
What is remarkable about the icon depicting "The
Battle beetween the Novgorodians and Suzdalians"?
How does The Igor Tale differ from the
other surviving works of Kievan literature?
For what are
Boris and Gleb
known?
What are some characteristics of
Orthodox Christianity?
Which
two monks are
credited with bringing literacy to the Slavs?
How many domes does Sancta Sophia in Kiev have? What do they represent?
Who led the Russian forces in the defeat the Livonian Order in Northern Russia in 1242?
Who led the army that defeated
the Mongols in 1380 and where was the battle fought?
What Saint founded the
Monastery of the Holy Trinity?
What are some remarkable episodes from the
Life of St. Sergius?
How extensive was the damage that the Mongols caused in Kiev?
What are some of the factors that led to the rise
of Moscow?
What Russian ruler both annexed
Novgorod and declared the end of Mongol-Tartar rule in Russia?
Who was the first Russian ruler to be given the title Tsar at his coronation?
What was
Ivan the
Terrible's childhood like?
What city did Ivan the Terrible's army conquer in 1552?
Who were the
oprichniki?
What Russian city was virtually destroyed by
Ivan
the Terrible's army in 1570?
What happened between
Ivan
the Terrible and his son in 1581?
What did
Moscow (or Russia)
come to be called after Constantinople fell to the Turks?
What
military leader
wrote
critical letters to Ivan the Terrible from exile?
What are the
Domostroi's
instructions when it comes to raising children?
Why does Ivan have to marry a
frog princess?
Who is Baba-Yaga and what is her house like?
What does the
golden fish do?
What does the
Gray Wolf
do when it first meets Ivan?
Why doesn't
Ivan stay dead after his brothers kill him?
What is a
lubok?
How is the man in "Shemiaka's Judgment" instructed to take revenge on the man
who killed his father?
Describe the Russian bath ritual?
Who is the
bogatyr
(hero) who defeats Nightingale the Robber?
Where did Ilya of Murom (Ilya Muromets) spend the first 30
(33) years of his life?
How did Sadko win his bet
with the merchants?
With what city is Sadko
normally associated?
What was a veche? Name two cities that had veches.
What three things is Tula famous for?
What is the
largest city
in Siberia (and the third largest in Russia) that is known for its
large number of excellent academic institutions?
What were the issues that led to the schism in the Russian
orthodox church?
Who was the Patriarch who introduced the reforms that started the schism?
What old believer
Arch-Priest wrote his own "life"? What is so interesting about this
work from the perspective of the history of Russian literature?
What
woman
was persecuted for her old believer convictions despite the fact that she was
very actively involved in charity for the diseased and destitute?
What was the name of the
Tsarevich,
who died mysteriously in Uglich?
Who, after being named ruler by a council of boyars known as a zemskii
sobor, became the first Tsar of Russia
who was not a descendant of Riurik?
What is the period
(1598-1613) between the reigns of the house of Riurik and the house of the Romanov's
known as?
Why was the False Dmitrii so unpopular in Moscow?
Why did Peter the Great hate Moscow and particularly the Kremlin?
How did Peter's forces finally manage to take Azov in 1696?
What controversial measures did Peter
take in 1698 after his return from his first visit to Europe?
Where did Peter's
forces defeat the Swedes in 1709?
What member of Peter's family conspired with the
streltsy to overthrow Peter
while he was away in Europe for the first time?
What were Peter's interests in his youth? Where did he spend his free time?
What is the most notorious use of the
Peter and Paul fortress in St. Petersburg?
What was the
fate of
Peter's son, Alexis?
Who is the architect who designed the
Winter Palace and
the Smolnyi Cathedral?
In the mouth of what
river
is St. Petersburg located?
Why did so many people move to St. Petersburg in Peter's time?
What two cities did Peter want to model his city after?
What is the
period
around the summer solstice known as in St. Petersburg?
What nationality was
Catherine the
Great?
How did Catherine rise
to power?
Against what nation did Catherine achieve her greatest military successes?
What nation was partitioned by Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Prussia in 1772, 1793, and 1795?
What language was most commonly spoken by the Russian nobility under Catherine?
What aspect of Catherine's
personality is used by her critics to belittle her?
Who was Catherine's
lover and right-hand man, who is famous for is able leadership as well as for making fake
villages in lands captured from the Turks?
Please be prepared to identify the following architectural monuments (please
memorize their names and locations):
The links to architectural monuments in St. Petersburg are unreliable.
If they are down, search for the monuments by name
on Google images.
Who was the author of “Poor Liza”?
What scientist of humble origins was the co-founder of Moscow (State) University?
What is significant about “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”?
Who wrote “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”?
Essays (You will be asked to write on one of the
following four topics):
- What are some of the opportunities and
challenges arising from Russia's geographic location?
- Who was greater: Catherine or Peter? Why?
- Discuss the role of Orthodoxy in pre-Petrine
Russian art, literature, and culture as well as elements of pre-Petrine
Russian art, literature, and culture that may reflect pre-Christian
Russian beliefs.
- What do we mean by Westernization when we discuss the 18th Century in Russia? What elements of Russian Culture were seen as particularly non-Western? What were some of the negative aspects of Westernization?
Return
to Professor Qualin's Main Russian Culture Page
|
