Anna Aydinyan joined Kenyon faculty in 2015. She teaches a range of courses in Russian language, literature and film. Prior to coming to Kenyon, Anna Aydinyan worked at Trinity College and the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of the monograph "Formalists against Imperialism: The Death of Vazir-Mukhtar and Russian Orientalism" (2022), as well as articles on Russian literature and imperialism published in Pushkin Review and Ab Imperio. Her current research explores trauma-informed pedagogy in the decades after the Second World War and secular spirituality in the late Soviet and Post-Soviet periods.
Areas of Expertise
19th– and 20th–century Russian literature; Russian and Soviet film and intellectual history.
Education
2012 — Doctor of Philosophy from Yale University
2005 — Master of Arts from University of Michigan
Courses Recently Taught
This is an introductory language course that emphasizes language proficiency in all four skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing. Students learn essentials of Russian grammar and vocabulary. After the first year, they are able to discuss most everyday topics. The course also introduces students to facts about Russian life, culture, history and geography. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to RUSS 112Y for the spring semester. No prerequisite. Offered every fall.
The second half of this course places greater emphasis on authentic target-language input (poems, songs, film clips) and student-to-student communication. Students do group work and make formal and informal presentations for their peers while continuing their study of new vocabulary and grammar. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Prerequisite: RUSS 111Y or equivalent. Offered every spring.
In this course, students continue their study of the language, concentrating on the development of oral communication and writing skills. Work for the course involves regular study of new vocabulary, extensive reading and writing. We review important aspects of grammar, focusing on communication in a variety of contexts. Students are introduced to more facts about Russian culture and read excerpts from Russian literature. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to RUSS 214Y for the spring semester. Prerequisite: RUSS 111Y-112Y or equivalent. Offered every fall.
The second half of the yearlong course emphasizes reading authentic cultural materials in Russian and student-to-student communication in various formats. Students work in groups on analytical and creative writing assignments, give presentations and lead discussions in Russian, developing their oral communication and writing skills. Students perfect their listening comprehension skills through watching masterpieces of Russian animation and completing assignments and quizzes based on them. They regularly study new vocabulary and important aspects of grammar, focusing on communication in a variety of contexts. Students are introduced to more facts about Russian culture, and read excerpts from the 19th-century Russian literature. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Prerequisite: RUSS 213Y or equivalent.
The central aim of this course is to introduce students to classic works in prose and poetry of 19th- and 20th-century Russian literature, and to develop their ability to discuss and analyze various genres and individual styles. Lectures and discussions focus on works by Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov. While our emphasis is on close readings and analysis of individual texts, we pay special attention to the development of realist aesthetics and to the special role played by literature in Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet society. Though centered on the novel, this course examines various genres and their boundaries: short story, drama and film. This course is taught in English. No prerequisite. Generally offered every three years.
This course provides an overview of the most significant trends and periods in the development of Russian cinema and introduces students to main cinematic genres and styles. It concentrates on three major aspects of cinema as an essential part of Russian culture: cinema as art: major directors and productions; myths of the nation: politics and history in Russian cinema; and self and other: gender, race and ethnicity. New trends in Russian culture also are considered. The course is taught in English. No prerequisite. Generally offered every other year.
This course provides advanced students of Russian the opportunity to continue their study of the language, concentrating on the development of four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. To strengthen their writing, students write several essays during the course of the semester. Work for the course involves regular study of new vocabulary, reading a variety of texts and writing essays. This course can be repeated for credit up to 1.0 unit with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: RUSS 213Y-214Y or equivalent. Offered every year.
This course is designed to provide advanced students the opportunity to refine and increase their ability to write, read and speak Russian. Students review grammatical structures and work on developing written and oral proficiency. Readings and class discussions center on cultural and literary material, Russian print media and occasional films. A strong emphasis is placed on a comprehensive grammar review, with special attention to typical topics of difficulty. This course can be repeated for credit up to 1.0 unit with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: RUSS 213Y-214Y. Offered every year.
Mikhail Bulgakov's famous novella "Heart of a Dog" (Sobach'e serdtse, 1925) is an engrossing sci-fi story that transports the reader to the Soviet Union in the era of the New Economic Policy. Its brilliant 1988 TV adaptation tells Bulgakov's novella from the point of view of perestroika. Engaging with this text and film provides advanced students of Russian with the opportunity to continue developing four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Fun daily quizzes assess students' reading comprehension and listening skills. During the semester, students write their own science fiction story or an animal fairy tale and give a presentation on the history of biomedical sciences. Daily discussions connect Bulgakov's novella to social issues of our own time. The course is taught in Russian. This course can be repeated for credit up to 1.0 unit with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: RUSS 213Y-214Y or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
