The course is based on authentic written texts and video and audio materials which will expose the students to some of the most widely discussed and hotly debated topics in Russia, such as U.S.-Russian relations, oil and gas, economic situation, and military conflicts. For this course, the students will be expected to keep track of the recent developments in Russia and present on them on a weekly basis. At the same time, the course will help the students refresh their knowledge of Russian grammar and deal with less familiar grammatical and lexical issues.