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Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia still remains
a major power with a land mass double that of the United States
and with a population of 145 million encompassing over one
hundred ethnic groups. Located between Europe and Asia, the
lands of the Eastern Slavs were often coveted and conquered
by invaders such as the Vikings from the North, the Hordes
of Ghingiz Khan from the East, and Napoleon and Hitler from
the West.
In spite - or perhaps because of - external and internal tyranny,
wars, famines, and revolutions, the Russian people are known
for their resilience of spirit, fecundity of mind, and richness
of soul. The mere mention of the names of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky,
Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Akhmatova, Eisenstein, Tarkovsky,
Pavlov, Mendeleev, Nijinsky and Baryshnikov - to mention just
a few examples - is enough to convey Russia's enormous contribution
to world literature, science, and culture.
In the aftermath of glasnost and perestroika, Russia is still
in the process of economic, political and cultural transformation.
To be a student of Russian language, literature and culture
is to gain a fascinating and rewarding perspective on Russia's
rich and enigmatic past and its exciting and challenging present.
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