Culture and Civilization in Baltic States, Central Europe and Caucasus

(Riga's Old Town)

This interdisciplinary program will explore the intersection of various cultures, empires, and trade blocks in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus ranging from the medieval period to the present. Classes will be held primarily in Riga, Latvia, and in Tbilisi, Georgia, two former Soviet republics known for the natural beauty of their surroundings and the many traces of the past still visible in them. The program will include side visits to Tallinn, Estonia, the Black Sea, Kakhetia (the oldest grape and wine culture on earth), and possibly Yerevan, Armenia. Students will take a six-week intensive Russian language course, and INGS 326, a course on the imperial and economic influences, from the East and West, that swept through these two former Soviet republics, and this whole region, from ancient times, up to before, during, and after the Soviet period.

 

 

 

 

Quick Facts

 

Where: 3 weeks in Riga, Latvia, 3 weeks in Tbilisi, Georgia

When: June/July Dates TBD

Program Directors: Mark Preslar, Department of Russian; Donald Rung, Department of French. 

Both Mark and Don have led many successful study abroad programs to Europe. 

Cost: The cost for the program is $11,640, which includes course fees, room and board, and eight Sewanee credit hours. This is less than the cost of summer school in Sewanee.  If we get a greater number of students the price will decrease. 

 

Course Information:

INGS 326: Eastern Europe, Baltics, and Caucasus: Empires, Revolutions, and Future Innovations 

This course examines the tentacles of empire reaching into the Baltic and Caucasus regions from Europe, focusing on the flow of trade and religious belief. It covers topics like the Hanseatic League, the Crusades, the Teutonic Knights, and the Silk Road, and the way they facilitate commerce and economic and intellectual exchange, as well as their intersection with violence and empire. The course is held on site in Riga and Tbilisi.

  

RUSN 151: Russian Language Abroad  

Intensive language study completed as an essential part of the Sewanee Russian Summer Abroad Program. Emphasis in the course is on listening and speaking, with some emphasis on reading and writing.  Original materials, and native speakers. All levels welcome from beginner to advanced students; no previous Russian necessary.

 

How to Apply: 1) Follow the directions for creating a VIA account found on the Study Away Process page; 2) Next, complete the Summer 2023 Application to Study Away in VIA; 2) Finally, complete the program specific application for Culture and Civilization in Baltic States, Central Europe and Caucasus in VIA.

 

 

 

(The Brotherhood of the Blackheads, Riga, a medieval guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners, and foreigners.)

 

(Detail of an Art Nouveau building in Riga, built in 1903.)