Josef Stalin died in 1953. His successors made changes to the system he created but also left some key aspects in place. This course examines the changes and continuities in Russia in the years after Stalin’s death, and considers the nature of the Soviet and post-Soviet systems.
Course details
Tutors
Josef Stalin’s death in 1953 saw the Communist Party under Nikita Khrushchev move to deStalinise the system. An intellectual thaw allowed limited freedoms to emerge and reforms to the secret police, welfare and housing helped to improve people’s lives. But the central elements of Stalinism remained, and a Stalin-shaped hole remained and proved difficult to completely fil. Even today, the legacy of the longest-serving leader of the Soviet Union continues to play a part in the life of Russia.
This course explores the changes and continuities in Russia after 1953. It examines the social, economic and political life of the country and considers how Russians lived and survived. It assesses why the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and looks at the problems that defined Russia as it worked through its transition from dictatorship to an incomplete democracy. And it concludes by focusing on the central elements of Putin’s Russia.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- An appreciation of the changes and continuities in post-Stalinist Russia;
- An understanding of the development of Russian politics and society after Stalin;
- An ability to compare and contrast the Soviet and post-Soviet systems.
Classes
1. Change and continuity: Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation
2. The Brezhnev years: a golden age?
3. All change: Gorbachev and the end of the USSR
4. Russia in transition: the 1990s
5. Security and democracy in 21st century Russia
Required reading
Read, Christopher. The Making and Breaking of the Soviet Union. Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2001
Sakwa, Richard. Russian Politics and Society. (4th edition) London, Routledge, 2008
Typical week: Monday to Friday
For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
| c.8.00am-9.00am | Breakfast in College (for residents) |
| 9.00am-10.30am | Am Course |
| 11.15am-12.30pm | Plenary Lecture |
| 12.30pm-1.45pm | Lunch |
| 1.45pm-3.15pm | Pm Course |
| 4.00pm-5.15pm | Plenary Lecture |
| c.6.00/6.15pm-7.15/7.30pm | Dinner in College (for residents) |
| c.7.30pm onwards | Evening talk/event |
Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.