Black Russians

In this course we will examine the history of Blacks in Russia, from the earliest mentions in the writings of Ovid and Pindar through to present day Russia, paying particular attention to the African American experience. We will consider questions such as how did Blacks first arrive in Russia? How were they treated then, throughout Soviet and Russian history, and how are they treated today? With which group, Black or Great White Russian, do Blacks born and raised in Russia identify? We will look closely at the contributions of Black Americans to the Soviet and Russian experience. (This course counts as elective credit towards the Russian major)