Thinking of Studying Russian?
- Start Russian from scratch
- Why choose Russian?
- What are the career prospects of Russian graduates?
- Is learning Russian difficult?
- What else can I study in a Russian degree?
- Is Russia a safe place to go?
Start Russian from scratch
Most of our students are complete beginners in Russian when they arrive. They usually take up Russian because they are looking for a new challenge after A-Levels, either as a fresh start, or combined with a more familiar subject in which they've already done well. In Final Year, it is impossible to tell who had studied Russian before they came to Bristol and who had not, and every year former beginners are among those to achieve firsts.
Why choose Russian?
Studying Russian opens up an extraordinary culture and history on the border between Europe and Asia, and represents an excellent way to broaden your horizons intellectually and professionally. President Putin's recent state visit to Britain indicated the importance of Russo-British relations to both countries, not least since Britain is set to become the biggest foreign investor in Russia. Here are some answers to questions we are frequently asked:
What are the career prospects of Russian graduates?
Russian graduates are in constant demand. Recent graduates in Russian from Bristol have begun rewarding careers in areas as diverse as accountancy, the armed forces, banking and finance, national and international civil services, commerce, industry, journalism, the law, the media, the police, publishing, teaching, translating and interpreting, and travel and tourism. A number have taken up opportunities to work abroad.
Their career paths demonstrate that Russia is simply too big to be ignored, whether as a market, a trading and diplomatic partner, a source of news stories, or a regional power still exerting considerable influence over its former empire and seeking its role in the 'new world order'. From an employer's perspective, Russian belongs to the family of traditional, well-respected European modern languages degrees, with the added advantage of being slightly different from the norm. Even if your chosen career path proves not to be directly connected with Russian, a degree in Russian will always stand out as an asset, indicating academic ability, independence of mind and a willingness to take on unusual challenges.
Is learning Russian difficult?
Ultimately, Russian, as an Indo-European language which puts itself together in a similar way to Western European languages, is far easier for speakers of those languages to learn than, say, Arabic or Chinese. The alphabet may look intimidating, but you'll have sorted it out within a couple of weeks at most.The structure of Russian most closely resembles that of languages like German, Greek or Latin. In effect, this means that there is quite a lot of information to be absorbed at the beginning. However, whereas languages like French and Spanish begin more straightforwardly, but become more difficult, Russian reveals its trickier side at the start, and then it's a question of revision and practice. Throughout, however, Russian constantly rewards the effort you put in, from the first words you write, speak or understand, to the first drink you order, to the first time you realise you've spoken nothing but Russian all day. At Bristol, Russian is taught intensively in small groups by specialist tutors, including substantial input from native speakers and access to computer, video and satellite technology. You have plenty of opportunity to experiment with and experience Russian, receive formal and informal feedback, and develop study skills in a supportive environment.
What else can I study in a Russian degree?
In breadth and depth, Russian culture compares with any great European culture, with its dazzling array of internationally renowned writers, thinkers, musicians, artists and film-makers. Similarly, there can be few more vivid, violent, moving and absorbing national histories than that of the Russian people. Recent TV adaptations of Crime and Punishment and Doctor Zhivago, and the warm reception given in the UK to recent Russian films like Sokurov's Russian Ark indicate the enduring fascination of the Russian worldview.
The range of options at Bristol has been designed to enable you to choose either to acquire a broad understanding of many aspects of Russian culture in many different periods, or to specialise in particular disciplines, like literature, visual arts or the history of ideas, or particular periods from the eighteenth century to the present. Apart from core units exploring key periods in Russian history and key writers like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, you can also study, for example, Orthodox culture, Russian and Soviet cinema and theatre, cultural politics, Russian thinkers, and contemporary fiction. Keen linguists may also take up the related language of Czech.
Is Russia a safe place to go?
From the current presentation of Russia in the media, you might not think so. The reality is that, in the last decade and a half, Russia has been rushed into the world of global capitalism, and finds itself confronting problems to which the West has long been accustomed, from introducing a new economic system to tackling international terrorism. This makes Russia a fascinating place to study and visit, without making its major cities any more unsafe than, say, London, Paris or New York. The last few years have witnessed significant social, economic and political stabilisation and progress, which is not so newsworthy. In particular, Moscow and St Petersburg have experienced intense renovation and rebuilding, and become increasingly enjoyable places for Westerners to visit or live.
For most of our students, the time spent in Russia during the Year Abroad, studying, working and travelling, is a life-changing experience. Often for the first time they have the opportunity to discover and engage with a genuinely different culture, during which they learn almost as much about themselves as they do about Russia and Russian. They return full of enthusiasm, each with their own stories to tell, and usually impatient to go back.
All our placements have been set up on the basis of personal contacts between institutions, so we can be sure you are being looked after well, and can easily deal with any problems if they arise. We have study placements and English-teaching placements, and also support students who wish to find work placements of their own. You can spend time in major urban centres like Moscow and St Petersburg, in provincial centres like Krasnodar, and in the former Soviet satellites of Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic, living either in university or private accommodation, or in families.
For more information, contact the Russian Department Admissions Tutor, Email: Rajendra Chitnis. For further information on Admissions, Open Days and Applications please see the School of Modern Languages website.
For entry profiles consult the UCAS website.
For information on the cost of studying at Bristol, please consult the Money Matters site.