Alexis Schrubbe

REEES Upper Division Undergraduate Course Mock Syllabus

Change and Continuity: An Interdisciplinary Survey of South Siberia

This is a 15 week interdisciplinary course surveying the peoples of South-Central

Siberia. The parameters of this course will be limited to a specific geographic area within
a large region of the Russian Federation. This area is East of Novosibirsk but West of
Ulan-Ude, North of the Mongolian Border (Northwest of the Altai Range) and South of
the greater Lake-Baikal Region. This course will not cover the Far East nor the Polar
North.
This course will be a political, historical, religious, and anthropological exploration
of the vast cultural landscape within the South-Central Siberian area. The course will
have an introductory period consisting of a brief geographical overview, and an historical
short-course. The short-course will cover Steppe history and periodized Russian history.
The second section of the course will overview indigenous groups located within this
region limited to the following groups: Tuvan, Buryat, Altai, Hakass/Khakass, Shor,
Soyot. The third section will cover the first Russian explorers/fur trappers, the
Cossacks, the Old Believers, the Decembrists, and waves of exiled people to the region.
Lastly, the final section will discuss contemporary issues facing the area.
The objective of the course is to provide a student with the ability to demonstrate
an understanding of the complex chronology of human presence and effect in
South-Central Siberia. The class will foster the ability to analyze, summarize, and
identify waves of influence upon the area. The overarching goal of the course is to
consider the themes of change versus continuity in regard to inhabitants of South
Siberia.
Basic knowledge of Russian is not needed in order to be a successful participant of
this course. All coursework will be in English.
Course Requirements:
Attend all meetings and classes, be present and conscious in class. Two free
absences are allowed and those absences will not affect the final attendance grade. Each
absence after the free absences will lower your attendance by one full letter grade. Being
on a computer or internet ready device for reasons outside of the class topics will count
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as a 0.5 point deduction off of your attendance for that day. (Attendance: 25% of
your final grade)
The course readings must be completed before attending class. The readings will
be available for purchase in a course packet while some will be posted online. All online
materials will be available from the start date of the course.

Students will comment and discuss on the readings and respond to

instructor-provided questions in an online forum before each class. Not all questions will
need to be answered but at least one should be addressed. This discussion should be
lively and responsive, and students should respond to other students postings. To
encourage this, each student will choose a pseudonym, this will be an online handle
that the student will post under. Only the instructor will know which student is the
creator of the students alias (Participation: 25% of your final grade).
The midterm and final will be combined into an annotated bibliography, a
presentation in-class, and a final paper. A student will present ideas for a final project
near the midterm and complete an annotated bibliography and mini-proposal for their
final paper topic. The presentation will be 5 minutes long and will cover the thesis/puzzle
you have defined for your paper, supporting observations, scope, and discussion of
selected sources. Students will each be graded by their peers as well as the instructor.
These peer grades will be kept anonymous, but the aggregated data will be shared with
the student presenter. Of course, the instructor will have the final say in grading a
presentation. (The presentation will count for 10% and the bibliography and
mini-proposal will count for 15% of your final grade.)
The final paper will have a draft due two weeks before the final date of this class.
This 10-15 page paper should define and explore historical or contemporary problems
considering the overarching themes of change and continuity faced by people living
in South Central Siberia. Topics such as identity, religion, language, economics, and
politics may be discussed and students are encouraged to develop a topic of interest and
application to their own personal studies. Development of the topic will happen as the
course progresses in stages.(Final paper: 35%)
Required readings:
(daily reading assignment substituted with RR in syllabus below)

Alexander Arbachakov, The Fight to Preserve Shor Culture. Cultural Survival

Quarterly, Vol. 25, 3, 2001.
Mikhail S. Blinnikov, A Geography of Russia and its Neighbors. New York: Guilford
Press, 2011.
Daphne Behrdal and Matti Bunzl. Altering States: Ethnographies of Transition in Eastern
Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000.
Tadashi Endo, Decentralisation and Educational Reform in Siberia and the Russian Far
East. International Review of Education. Vol. 49, 1-2, 2003.
Andrew A. Gentes, Licentious Girls and Frontier Domesticators: Women and Siberian
Exile from the late 16thearly 19th Centuries, Sibirica: Vol. 3, 1, 2003, p 3-20.
Gorenburg, Dmitry P. Minority Ethnic Mobilization in the Russian Federation. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Jachim Habeck, Agnieszka Halemba, Istvan Santha, Size and Place in the Construction
of Indigeneity in the Russian Federation. Current Anthropology, Vol 49, 6, 2008.
Roberte Hamayon, Shamanism, Buddhism and Epic Heroism: Which Supports the
Identity
of the postSoviet Buryats Central Asian Survey: Vol. 17, 1, 1998.
Caroline Humphrey and David Sneath, The End of Nomadism? Society, State, and the
Environment in Inner Asia. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999.
Hal Kane, Who Speaks for Siberia?, World Watch: March/April 2002 p. 15
Bruce W. Lincoln, The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. Ithaca, N.Y.:
Cornell University Press, 2007.
M. Lisauskene, A New Generation of Russian College Students. Russian Education and
Society 48.9, 2006.
M. Lisauskene The Next Generation. Russian Social Science Review 48.5, 2007:
57-67.
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Victor Mote, Siberia, Boulder: Westview Press, 1998.

Igor V. Naumov, The History of Siberia. Edited by David N. Collins, New York:
Routledge, 2006.
James S. Olson, Shor, An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. Westport: Greenwood
Press, 1999. and Selected works from James S. Olson, An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of
the Russian and Soviet Empires. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1994.
Leonid Papatov, Shaman's Drum: A Unique Monument of Spiritual Culture of the Altai
Turk Peoples. Anthropology of Consciousness, Volume 10, 4, p. 23-35, 1999.
Anna Reid, The Shaman's Coat, London: Wiedenfield & Nicholson, 2002.
Larisa R. Pavlinskaya, REINDEER HERDING IN THE EASTERN SAYAN; The Story of
the Soyot. Cultural Survival Quarterly, Volume 27.2, 2003.
Robert A. Rupen, Tuva, Asian Survey: Vol. 5, 12, 1965, p 609-615
Balzhan Zhimbiev, A History of Urbanization in a Siberian City: Ulan-Ude. Cambridge:
High Street Press, 2000.
Extended, Annotated Syllabus:
Week 1: Introductions and Important questions
Class 1: Introduction to the syllabus and the course policies. Pre-quiz writing activity in
class, asking the following questions:
-What is Siberia in your own words? What do you think of when
-Who are Siberians? Who lives in Siberia?
-Where does Asia begin and Europe end?
-What is the importance of Siberia to Russia?
-What are the major religions of Siberia?
-How diverse do you believe the populations are in Siberia?
These prequiz answers will be collected as attendance for the day. They will be kept until
the end of the semester and handed back to the students as a reflective exercise. The
purpose is to show we all have preconceptions on a subject, and in keeping with the
theme of the class, some of our ideas will change while some of our notions remain static.
This is to challenge the trope of Siberia as a frozen hinterland, or make the students
rethink some stereotypes they may have about people living in Siberia.
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Class 2: Geography of the Region

RR: Blinnikov, p. 391-399 Chapter 27: Siberia, The Great Land. Also Mote,
Chapter 1 & 2.
Blinnikov's extensive study on the cultural and physical geography of Russia will not be
covered in whole. The purpose of this reading and this lecture are to detail important
cities and landmarks within the region. Blinnikov opens his chapter with interesting facts
on the region and trends in population mobility. He then begins to discuss physical
geography which outlines fun facts and figures about some of the most notable land
formations within the region. The chapter acts as a very good overview of the economic
importance of the region and serves to add snippets of cultural, historical, and
geographical facts to a larger summary.
The class will discuss the major river systems and bodies of water, mountain ranges, and
differences between the natural zones located within Siberia (Steppe, Taiga, Tundra and
their definitions). Also points of major industry and settlement will be covered briefly as
well.
Task for online discussion: Find a fun fact about Siberia to share with your classmates,
i.e., Siberia is 1.5x larger than the United States or Lake Baikal is the largest
freshwater lake on Earth. Link source if applicable and cite using MLA style in post. Do
not include things from Mote, Chapter 2, A Land of Conquest

Week 2: Short Course

Class 3: Steppe History
RR: Naumov, Part I, Part II; chapters 1-6.
This class will open up with a warm up exercise of sharing facts discovered about Siberia.
The facts will be recorded by different student volunteers and emailed to the class list
afterwards.
Then, a discussion of the history of Siberia until the period of the Huns will occur
beginning in the Stone Age. We will briefly discuss the Neolithic Revolution (Associated
with settling into a sedentary, agricultural lifestyle) and the later Pastoral Revolution
(gradually becoming nomadic and dependent on animal herds over the course of around
1500 years). In the RR Naumov details necessary facts on Stone Age and Bronze Age
human presence in Siberia. He then chronicles the Scythian Period which includes the
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time of the slab-grave building people. Lastly, the period of the Huns is briefly discussed,
including the social structure of the organization of Hunnic tribes across the area.
Online study questions: Who were the Karasuk people and what animal was central to
them? Did the Glazkov people have a matriarchal society or not? How many kinds of
horses did the Pazyrik people have? How far did the Hunnic Empire reach North?

Class 4: Steppe History, The Turks and Chinggis Khan

RR: Naumov, Part III; chapters 7-9.
The next section of the short course will cover the Turkic Kaganate, the Mongol Empire,
and the pre-annexation of Siberia by Russia.
As discussed by Naumov, the Turkic Khaganate covered a vast area of Central Asia,
from Transbaikalia to the Altai-Yenisei. Khagan or Khan is the word for king among
Mongol and Turkic tribes, and social organization fell under leadership of Khans with
military support. Most importantly, a written language close to Aramaic was developed
during this period (6th-7th century). The Turkic influence on South Siberian culture is
visible in the increasing complexity of day-to-day items, such as horse saddles and the
invention of stirrups (Naumov 40).
In the 13th century Chinggis Khan successfully united all of the Mongol tribes (Naumov
45) and the Empire's vastness opened Southern Siberia to exchanges of goods and ideas
with peoples across the empire. Furs and skins from the north were traded for silks and
ornamentation, people migrated from the East to Transbaikalia, and words intermingled
in languages of those living under the Mongol Empire.
Online study questions: Who were the Tatars? What happened to the Turkic Kaganates?
Did people still practice agriculture at this point? What about the written and spoken
languages, how did they change?
Week 3: Short Course
Class 5: Russia's introduction to the East, Ivan Grozny and Muskovy
RR: Naumov Chapters 10-14 and Mote, Chapter 3.
Moscow rose in power as Mongol power was decreasing. During the 16th century, Prince
Ivan adopted the title Tsar for the first time. This Tsar was Ivan the Terrible. At this
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time, present-day Russian lands were separated into several Khanates. Using the
Cossacks (Slavs with a semi-nomadic lifestyle) as hired armies, each Khanate was slowly
adopted into the growing Russian state. Yermak, a Cossack chieftain (ataman), began a
campaign through Siberia in 1579. He famously succeeded in incorporating Siberian
Khanates into the Russian state (Naumov 57). Siberian locals were forced to pay a fur
tax called the yasak, a practice the Russians adopted from their Tatar and Mongol
predecessors. Within less than 100 years, Russian Cossacks had traveled to the Pacific in
search of furs. The Cossacks believed Siberian populations were useful to them as fur
hunters. At this point, European-brought diseases such as smallpox and syphilis begin to
decimate Siberian indigenous groups.
Online study questions: Who was Kuchum? Which Siberian peoples gave Yermak the
greatest resistance? What did the Nerchinsk Russo-Chinese Peace Treaty establish?
How was Siberia organized and ruled from Moscow in the 15th century; were the local
ministers fair to Siberian people who had been there before Russian rule? What is your
understanding of Mote's concept of the Little Siberians?

Class 6: Pre-Revolutionary Russia in Siberia

RR: Naumov Chapters 15-26, Reid Introduction and Chapter 1
During this period, the majority of Siberia had been thoroughly explored. At this time,
Siberia was integrated into the Russian administrative orbit. The period before the
revolution was a time of both forced and voluntary relocation to Siberia. What followed
was increasing poverty and gradual cultural disintegration for Southern Siberian
indigenous populations.
Reid also covers a brief history of time in her introduction, traversing through the Soviet
Period. Mostly, the introductory chapters of the book are required for understanding of
her methods in the context of history. Also, she discusses some of the limits of her study
which are purposeful to discuss with students to encourage critical thinking about
research methods.
Online Study Questions: What reforms did Catherine II bring to Siberia? As more people
migrated to the region, what changes took place in city centers? What happened to the
original inhabitants of important trade routes? Is there a mention of Shamanism during
the 17th and 18th centuries? What reforms did Peter I bring?
Week 4: Tuvans
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Class 7: Tuvans, Introduction

RR: Robert A. Rupen, Tuva, Asian Survey: Vol. 5, 12, 1965, p 609-615 and
http://www.fotuva.org/ Friends of Tuva website and
Recommended further reading for advanced study: Vainshtein, Nomads of South
Siberia
Rupen's 1965 article acts as a survey of the habits of the Tuvan people. The article is
extremely outdated and provides examples of Western bias on the lifestyle of nomadic
people. I included this article to challenge students' thoughts on natives, what it means
to be primitive and also what the arrival of communism brought versus what it was
assumed would be brought according to Rupen. The article will be countered by a much
more personal, deeper exploration of Tuva in the next week.
The first class on Tuva will overview the Tuvan people. Essentially the lecture will
outline the following in greater detail:
The Tuvans, A Turkic speaking nationality called the Tuvans are an indigenous
South Siberian people who live East of the Altai, Khakas and Shor nestled on the
Northern slopes of the Sayan mountains and bordering the western part of Mongolia.
Their territory is an autonomous republic called, Tuva. Tuvans speak a Turkic language
that is heavily influenced by Mongol due to their proximity and interaction with their
Southern neighbors. Modern Tuvans are in fact descended from various Turkic speaking
tribes with Mongol ethnic elements intermixed. The mostly Turkic and Mongol tribes
who came together over many centuries to form the Tuvan nation also contain
detectable remnants of the now vanished Samoyedic and Ketic peoples of Southern
Siberia, especially among the northernmost, forest-dwelling Tuvans.
Other details will follow, including pictures collected while on a Fulbright GSA
during the summer of 2013. Further, pictures from Eliot Stone's personal collection will
be used during the lecture with his permission.
Online study questions: What do you think is problematic about Rupen's assessment?
Why do you think he felt Communism would bring positive changes to the lives of people
in Tuva? Remembering what you know about Western influence on the region during
pre-Soviet times, what may you argue about disease and impoverishment in Tuva? Also,
has your perspective on the definition of backwardness shifted as of yet during this
course? What does the word primitive mean to you?

Class 8: Tuva Continued

RR: Reid, Chapter 4, also Levin, Chapter 1
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZCCekUbPs8
SlavTalk Radio (2011), available on iTunes: Recordings of the Alash Ensemble
Optional: Genghis Blues (1999) Dir. Roko Belic
In her book, The Shaman's Coat, Anna Reid intermingles regional histories with
ethnographic portraits in search of understanding Shamanism. In her chapter on Tuva,
she details how Tuva similarly remains and does not remain an autonomous republic
vis-a-vis the Soviet state. The importance of her chapter on Tuva, however, for the
theme of this class is the destruction and recreation of the spiritual side of Tuva.
Shamanism and Buddhism were erased during the Soviet period, and Reid discusses her
encounters with the reincarnation of both in modern Tuva. This is the first point at
which the students will encounter the erasure of aspects of culture as reported in the
literature. I would like the students to begin thinking about how closely identity of the
Tuvan people may have been intertwined with spirituality.
Supporting Reid, Levin's highly detailed chapter explains a link between the natural
world, Tuvan art, and personal spirituality. Further, Levin exquisitely discusses the
intricacies of Tuvan music, describing the instruments, style, and purpose of making
music for the Tuvan people. In addition to Levin, during lecture, I will play a recording of
the Alash Tuvan Folk Ensemble that was recorded for SlavTalk Radio
Online Study Questions: According to Reid so far, what is your understanding of
Shamanism? Do you feel that ideas of race were organic within Tuva, or do you think
they may have been socially constructed at some point; can you support your thoughts?
What do you think the connection between Tuvan music and the environment is? How
do you feel about some of the thoughts Levin and Reid report on the fact that nature is
alive? How do your own religious conceptions affect your opinions on the readings?

Week 5: Buryats, Introduction

Class 9:
RR: Zhimbiev, 1-86
Just like the Tuvan lecutre, the Buryat lecture will have a general overview of the
distinctions of the ethnic group.
The Buryats have a language that is closely related to Mongolian, and are ethnically
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related to Mongolian people. Buryats but live in the Southern portion of Central-Eastern
Siberia. The ethnonym Buryat derives from a Turkic term meaning "wolf" (one of the
traditional Buryat-Mongol clans had as its totem the wolf). Today most of the 400,000+
Buryats live in the Russian Federation. Before the arrival of the Russians in Siberia, the
Buryats also lived on the Western side of Lake Baikal. Ulan-Ude is the capital of
Buryatia, a bustling city in the center of the republic. Buryatia also boasts the largest
Datsan in Russia and is called the center of Buddhism within the Russian Federation,
much like Kazan is famous for being the center of Islam.
Zhimbiev details the building of Ulan-Ude in his book, and though his writing is quite
dry, his chronology is paced by explaining the purposeful disintegration of a nomadic
lifestyle. Before the 1917 Revolution, the Buryats were engaged in either pastoral
nomadism or sedentary agriculture. The sedentary Buryats also raised some cattle and
horses. Hunting also played an important role in the family and clan economy; the
animals hunted included the bear and the Baikal seal.
The in-class lecture will also discuss the length of Russian influence on the Buryat people
which has been significantly longer than more Southerly Siberian locations. As
discovered on the Fulbright GSA, part of the Soviet influence perpetuated
partial-amnesia of the spoken language. Now in Buryatia, Buryat is required to be taught
in schools. Once again, the theme of change and continuity returns.
Questions for online discussion: Why do you think the Soviets desperately attempted to
break the seasonal cycle of nomadic people? Knowing what you know from our first
lectures that discussed the significance of Siberia's resources, is there a higher purpose to
resettling the indigenous populations? How closely do you think identity and language
are tied together? Is there a similar American comparison? Can you think of other
groups who have lost and consequently are trying to regain their language?
Class 10:
RR: Reid, Chapter 3 and Hamayon in entirety
In Reid's chapter on Buryatia, she does not get into as much detail as she does in the
Tuvan chapter, but discusses some of the effects of Soviet presence on the Buryat
people. This is significant in comparison with the history of Tuva, as mentioned earlier
Buryatia has had a much longer history with Russia. Reid finds that similar to Tuva,
there is an amalgamation of practices concerning spirituality and Lamaism/Buddhism
and Shamanism are sometimes both believed in and consulted.
Strengthening what Reid discusses, Hamayon proffers perspective on three growing
spiritual movements within Buryatia after the fall of the Soviet Union. She outlines
Shamanism, Lamaism, and Heroism (from the Tibetan Geser). Her main thesis is the
revival of identity-fever, and that all three movements work in unique ways within
culture to support that.
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Questions for online discussion: Why do you believe there was a revival in discovering
identity? What is so important about practicing parts of culture that may have been lost,
in your opinion? Does your culture have any instances of religious amalgamation? Are
there practices in your religion that are outside the facets of your religious text? Would
you like being able to pick and choose aspects from different spiritual experiences or do
you think there should only be one system?
Week 6: Altai/Altay
Class 11:
RR: Website of the Altay Republic: http://eng.altai-republic.ru/index.php, read
Ethinic History and Papatov in entirety
The Altaians are a grouping of smaller Turkic peoples scattered along the Altai
and Sayan mountains including groups such as the Shor, Teleut, Kumandin, Tubalar, and
Telengit. Altai has several meanings, including golden and also knowledge. Within
the Altai group, there are two distinct ethnographic groups; the Northern and the
Southern. The Southern Altai were groups of nomadic herding people living on the
steppe. The Northern Altai groups practiced a hunter/gatherer lifestyle, fishing and
hunting in the taiga. Because of the linguistic similarity to other Turkic peoples in
Southern Siberia, sometimes these people are called Tatars. As Russians moved into
the region, like most of the other Southern Siberian populations, the Altai groups became
increasingly sedentary and dependent on agriculture.
Papatov discusses the drum as a centerpiece for Shamanism in the region. Again,
the Soviet idea of Shamans being somehow an enemy of the state is emphasized. The
illustrations are to be compared with contemporary photographs from the Altay
Republic's website, to demonstrate continuity. Also, the website has interesting myths
and deeper information on the history of the people within the republic.
Online Study Questions: First task, find a pertinent news article from the Altai Republic
website and summarize it online. Other questions, Is there a word in English that could
be analogous to Altai? Why is it that you think despite the differences in their
lifestyles, the Northern and the Southern Altai people are grouped together?
Class 12: Khakass
This class will be used to discuss the concept of the Khakass, a larger classification
of Turkic-language peoples that call themselves other distinct names within the umbrella
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of the Khakass family. The Khakass are located on the upper Yenisei. The Khakass
number fourth in population in rank among the indigenous people of Siberia. Khakass
languages are distinguishable from the neighboring Turkic idioms, notably different than
the languages of the Tuva and the Altai Turks. The traditional economy of the Khakass
was based on a combination of cattle herding with hunting and fishing. There are five
different peoples forming the Khakass: the Kachins, Sagays, Beltirs, Kyzyls, and
Koybals. In effect, these are tribal groupings (Gorenberg 2003).
Online Study Questions: Find facts on the different Khakass groups listed above and post
in the online forum. Pictures, videos, etc. are welcome. Cite your sources and photos
properly for credit.

Week 7: Assuming the class has 35-40 students (which seems to be the number of
students in crosslisted REEES courses) three class periods will be needed for in-class
presentations on the topics of research that the student has tentatively chosen for their
final project. I would like to start this process earlier rather than later to encourage
completion of work in a timely manner.
The work for these series of classes is to prepare a 5 minute presentation long
that will cover the thesis/puzzle the student has defined for the paper, supporting
observations, scope, and discussion of selected sources. The student will turn in their
mini-proposal and annotated bibliography.
Class 13: Class Presentations
Class 14: Class Presentations
Week 8:
Class 15: No class, spring break. Annotated bibliographies and mini proposals due today
by email. Assignment over spring break is to create a detailed outline of the paper topic
and write the introductory paragraph and thesis statement. This outline and paragraph
will be 10% of the final paper grade, including peer assessment of outlines and discussion
of ideas and how arguments relate to the overarching topic of change and continuity.
Class 16: No class, spring break. Outline project is due by class #18.

Week 9:
Class 17: Last day of Class Presentations
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Class 18: OUTLINE PROJECT DUE, this class will be devoted to peer
discussion of outline, paring in groups of three or four to help solidify and
critique thoughts on whether or not the paper relates to the overarching
theme of Continuity and Change
Week 10:
Class 19: Shor
RR: Arbachkov, in entirety
As discussed by Arbachkov, the Shor people are a small-numbered people that
have a distinct culture which separates them from other Turkic-speaking indigenous
groups. Today it is estimated that there are around 12,000 Shor, most of whom live in
the Taiga in the foothills of the Altai Mountains. From those 12,000, as stated by
Arbachkov, only around 1000 speak their original Shor language. What separated Shor
society from other regional populations is a radition of smithing metals. No other
indigenous people of this region (before Russian influence) were traditionally
metal-smiths. Interestingly, the iron ore deposits in Shor territory were extensive
enough to support a large industry in the 20th century. The capital of the Shor area is
Novokuznetsk- New Smith. The Shor were ardent animists like many other groups of
the region, their environment and life completely inseperable from one another.
Online Study Questions: Why do you think it is important to encourage the preservation
of individual cultures? Do you think that contemporary life could learn anything from the
traditions within small-numbered cultures such as the Shor, or has our species grown
out of the need to think about the lifestyles of highly localized populations?
Class 20: Soyot
RR: Pavlinskaya, in entirety
peruse the following photographs:
http://disappearing-world.com/en/our-expeditions/soyots/
peruse the following website:
http://reindeerherding.org/herders/soyot/
The Soyot people are distinct in their region due to a tradition of Reindeer
herding. As Pavlinskaya chronicles, the Soyot people's ancestors were influenced by
many groups from the tundra, the taiga, and the steppe. The Soyot have all but lost their
connection with reindeer herding despite their neighbors reclaiming some seasonal
nomadism with sheep, cattle, and goats. As stated by both Pavlinskaya and
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reindeerherding.org, without significant encouragement or subsidies, reindeer herding

will most likely not be reintroduced into the contemporary lives of Soyots interested in
reclaiming their ancestral livelihood.
Online Study Questions: Why do you think the Soyot rushed to reclaim reindeer herding
during the time of cultural rediscovery as Pavlinskaya claims? In the 21st century, what
would be the economic advantage to herding reindeer in your opinion; is there any? If
you had the opportunity, would you ride a reindeer in the style of Craig Campbell, PhD?
Week 11:
Class 21: Cossacks
A Cossack refers to a set of people living a semi-nomadic life on the steppes of
Eastern Europe. Cossack comes from Kazak which means 'nomad on horseback'.
Cossacks arrived in Siberia around the 15th century. Cossack culture was borne from
Slav peoples that took on the lifestyle of the Tatar steppe nomads. Various Cossack
populations sprung up across the Slavic lands, and the majority of Siberian Cossacks
came from Northwest Russia. Yermak, as mentioned earlier during the history short
course, brought an army of 540 Cossacks to annex Siberia into the Russian state.
Cossack refers to these class of people being neither indentured servants nor
landowners, and being from a distinct militSary tradition.
Online Study Questions: In our readings, it is cited throughout many sources that the
Cossacks brought changes with them. Look again at the course materials, and cite a
specific example of Cossack intervention and the effect on the local population. Is there a
metaphor comparing a similar situation in other cultures? Have you come across similar
examples from history in your studies? What do you think that it means in the context of
progress or change?

Class 22: Old Believers

RR: peruse the contemporary photographs from the Old Believers' website
located here: http://rpsc.ru/news/photos
Watch clips of the film, Savoniha: A Siberian Old Believer (1997) in class. The
video explores the history of the Old Believers, but concentrates mostly on Savoniha's
own life and memories. Savoniha survived Joseph Stalin's anti-religious campaign.
During the film she talks of her father, one of the victims of the campaign and also one of
the Siberian Old Believers' most influential representatives.
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The Old Believers/Semieskie were a sect of Orthodox Christianity that broke off
from the Orthodox Church during Patriarch Nikon's reforms of the early 1600s. The
spelling of Jesus, the creed, the sign of the cross, number of prosphora, direction of
procession, and alleluia. In 1650 Old Believers broke away from the Russian Orthodox
Church and then were persecuted for their actions by the church. There are many sects
of Old Believers and some were exiled to Siberia, settling in the forests of Transbaikalia
in the Buryat Republic. Living in isolation, they preserved their beliefs quietly.
Interestingly, due to the founder effect, there have even been findings of genetic
anomalies within the Old Believer Population (Rubenstien 2008).
Online Study Questions: Do you think the Old Believers are like the Menonite or Amish
Populations of the United States? Why or why not?

Week 12: Wrapping up: Soviets, and the Little Siberians

Class 23: Naumov, Part 8: 70 Years of Red Siberia
RR: Naumov Part 8 though Conclusion.
In his last chapter, Naumov quickly advances 70 years through the communist
period in Siberia. Most importantly, Naumov outlines the shift from agricultural use of
the land to the concentration of people in city centers. Naumov discusses the details of
industry and which kinds of production developed in the area. Naumov briefly discusses
the Gulag, Siberia's role in WWII, and the preconditions of Perestroika in Siberia.
Online Study Questions: Considering the United States own shift from a production
economy during the Information Age, do you think there will be greater consequences
for Siberia that Naumov has not discussed though he mentions a slight revitalization? Do
you think that Siberia is as important to Russia as its resources would make it seem?
What about Central Siberia during the communist period surprised you? What happened
to the many differing groups of indigenous people at this time?
Class 24: Mote Chapter 7-8: Rebels, Little Siberians, Siberian Identity
RR: Mote, Chapters 7-8
In these last two chapters, Mote details the complicated pre-and-post 1991
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conditions in Siberia. Mote writes that at this time, the coal industry had destabilized and
the coal miners were increasingly unhappy. The pollution in industry towns was severe;
human life was shortened and birth rates were affected by the disastrous conditions.
Mote discusses the Kuzbas' and 1991 coal miners strike to show how much weight
industries had within Russia.
Lastly, Mote discusses the collapse of the USSR and its political effects on the
region. He asks pertinent questions that have been answered in the 20 years since the
collapse of the USSR.
Online Study Questions: Mote asks questions about the future of Siberia within the
Russian Federation. Mote suggests that Siberia holds significant power in his last two
chapters. Firstly, answer some of Mote's questions on succession, governance, or
economic thoughts. Secondly, what is your hypothesis on why ethnic republics such as
Tuva have not broken off from the Russian Federation a la Chechnya?
Week 13: Size and Place and Educational Reform/Where do the Siberians
Wish to Be?
Class 25: Reform and Language
RR: Endo in entirety, Donahoe et al., in entirety.
In his Decentralisation and Educational Reform in Siberia and the Russian Far
East Endo discusses a brief history of educational reform. Then, he opens case studies
on specific schools in Irkutsk and Khabarovsk. The purpose of this case study is to
discuss the curriculum change in schools since the dissolution of the USSR. Most
importantly, Endo finds that there has been an overwhelming return to studying the
original language of the region. Rather than discouraging unique local culture, modern
schools are exploring it.
To add to this, the Donahoe et al article discussing numbers of ethnic minorities
within the Russian Federation is to provide a synthesis and perspective on how land,
cities, and distribution of people is considered when attempting to define an ethnic
minority.
Online Study Questions: Do you think this kind of a return to language could be
employed successfully in creole populations such as Chicago or New Orleans in the
United States? How do you feel about local languages being taught in schools for the first
time in 70 years? Would you be happy to revisit culture or feel isolated or dominated by
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a kind of cultural tyranny? What do you define as cultural tyranny?

Class 26: What do the Kids Want?
RR: Lisauskene, entirety
Lisauskene has in-depth research on multiple groups of youth within Siberia and
her findings are incredibly interesting. She looks at the generation of Millennials (born
from 1980 to the early 2000s) and asks questions about their education, their
aspirations, and their satisfaction. Essentially she finds that young Siberians are mostly
interested in leaving the region for larger cities in the West. In fact, over half wish to be
in Moscow or abroad.
The purpose of this class will be to discuss contemporary issues facing young
Siberians and hypotheses on why it is Lisauskene calls them the reform generation and
what about Siberia isn't providing them with the freedom and independence that they
require.
Online Study Questions: Are the feelings reported by Lisauskene unique to Siberia or do
you feel that youth across the globe may have similar feelings? What makes Siberians
different? What do you think is so attractive about Moscow? Is there an American
comparison that may be made?
Week 14:
Class 26: DRAFT I of FINAL PAPER DUE IN CLASS - Draw names of classmates to
see who will peer edit the paper and discuss the paper on the last day in class.
Class 27: Synthesis and Summary of Materials
Week 15:
Class 28: Course evaluations, In-class peer group paper critique/feedback
from draft I of final paper
I would like the students to give each other constructive feedback on their papers,
suggest further sources and discuss important issues related to the class!

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