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Subjects

Slavonic Studies

Promoting Excellence in the Study of Poland, Russia and Ukraine

The Slavonic Studies Section at the University of Cambridge offers innovative undergraduate and graduate teaching in Polish, Russian and Ukrainian and engages in the advanced study of Poland, Russia and Ukraine, with an emphasis on cultural history from the Middle Ages to the present day.

For centuries, the University of Cambridge has cultivated a deep understanding of the societies of Eastern Europe by way of celebrated scholarship and instruction. In 1900, a grant from what strikes us now as an improbable source -- the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers -- established the first University Lectureship in Russian. Today the Slavonic Studies Section at Cambridge promotes international excellence in teaching and research over a wide array of topics in the study of language, literature, thought, history and culture.

The intellectual vitality of the Slavonic Studies Section is particularly evident in the fields of Pre-Modern East Slavic culture; Polish, Russian and Ukrainian Literatures of the 19th and 20th centuries; Slavonic Linguistics; Nationalism Studies; Film and Visual Culture; and Memory Studies. It is home to a dynamic annual programme of public lectures, research seminars, conferences and exhibitions.

Upon graduation our students join a highly employable community of leaders who forge rewarding careers in such diverse fields as journalism, law, politics, and diplomacy. 

 

As part of their degree, MML students live abroad in their third year to hone language skills and cultural understanding. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Slavonic Studies community at Cambridge moved quickly to arrange year abroad placements in countries where Russian-language students could immerse themselves in the language outside of Russia.  We sat down with students from this first cohort to hear about their experiences at approved institutions in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.  For everyone, it was a life-changing opportunity.

 

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Slavonic News

New Work in Slavonic Studies Lecture Series - 'The Russian Poet Who Cannot Be Seen or Heard'

12 March 2024

We are delighted to invite you to the final talk in the New Work in Slavonic Studies guest speaker lecture series, 'The Russian Poet Who Cannot Be Seen or Heard' with Stephanie Sandler (Harvard University). This talk will take place on Thursday 14 March at 17:15 in Winstanley Theatre, Trinity College. The performance of...

In Memoriam: Natasha Squire (1931-2024)

27 February 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Natasha Squire (1931-2024) at the age of 92. Natasha taught Russian in the Department of Slavonic Studies to generations of students. She was an Emeritus Fellow of Lucy Cavendish, a college which she joined in 1966, and where she served as Senior Tutor, and in many...