Rock Music in Russia and the USSR

This course will trace the emergence and development of rock and roll music – initially an exotic American influence which later grew into bona fide Russian genre – in the Soviet Union and, subsequently, the Russian Federation. As in the west, the musical developments in rock went hand in hand with ever-changing youth cults, social trends and cultural shocks: from the 'styliagi' of the 50s to Beatlemania and the Russian hippy movement of the 60s and 70s, to protest-driven 'Russian rock' of the 80s and the current contradictory situation. Lectures will be accompanied by audio and video recordings, as well as selected feature films. Course assignments will include essays on Soviet and Russian rock acts and oral reports.