F O O D & D R I N K H I S T O R Y H I S T O R Y Revolutionary Russia: From Lenin to Putin R ussia experienced a dramatic political, economic, and cultural revolution during much of the 20th century. In this course, we will analyze various radical movements and events that shaped this superpower, including the early-20th-century revolutionaries, the Bolshevik victory of 1917, the transformation of Soviet society by the Communist Party, the myriad opposition movements of the 1970s and 1980s, Gorbachev’s pere- stroika, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. For the cultural part of this survey, we will examine cutting-edge films and art inspired by the revolutionary spirit permeating Russian and Soviet society (Sergei Eisenstein’s montage theory, the proletarian art of the Proletkult movement, Maxim Gorky’s literary socialist realism). During the final two weeks of the course, we will discuss the extent to which Vladimir Putin positions himself within this Russian revolutionary tradition and the motivations behind his brutal war in Ukraine. We will read two books by acclaimed historians of the Soviet Union: A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to Its Legacy by Peter Kenez and Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970–2000 by Stephen Kotkin. We will conclude the course with an analysis of Putin’s government, All the Kremlin’s Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin, written by Russian journalist and author Mikhail Zygar. Throughout the course, the instructor will provide regular updates about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. k r i st e n e dwa r ds Independent Scholar Kristen Edwards received a PhD in history from Stanford. Since then, she has taught Russian, European, and world history at Menlo College, Notre Dame de Namur University, Stanford, and the Osher Institute at Santa Clara University. She has contributed to Seventeen Moments in Soviet History (an online media archive) and led Stanford Travel/Study trips to Russia. Using her experience in faculty union work, Edwards is researching the labor movement in Russian and US higher education. HIS 186 Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:50 pm (PT) 10 weeks, June 28 – August 30 2 units, $520 Refund Deadline: June 30 Course Format: Live Online Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759–1840), Irises illustration from Les liliacées, 1805. Original from New York Public Library. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel. Learn more about our new Continuing Studies course “Drawing Flowers: An Introduction to Botanical Art” (page 16). 27 R EGIS T R AT IO N F O R AL L C O UR S ES B EGINS ON MONDAY, MAY 22, AT 8:30 A M (P T ) R EGIS T ER O NL INE AT C O NT INUINGSTU DIES.STA NFORD.EDU