In October of 1896, Harvard appointed Leo Wiener to teach Russian, Polish, and Old Church Slavonic at the college, thus becoming the first university in America to appoint an instructor in Slavic Languages and Literature.[1] Since then, Harvard has been at the forefront of American academic conversations involving Russia. With the post-WWII boom of interdisciplinary Russian Studies and Sovietology, Harvard's relationship with Russian studies is a constantly shifting one, weaving in and out of political and interdisciplinary discourses. This exhibit first outlines the history of tension between politics and authenticity that undergirds Russia studies. It then examines Harvard's specific role and attitude in this history. This exhibit concerns itself with the following questions: How has Harvard's approach to Russian studies changed over time? What does Harvard think students currently need to know about Russia to be engaged in the world around them? What is at stake in the study of Russia at Harvard?
[1] "History," Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, accessed on May 5, 2014. <http://slavic.fas.harvard.edu/pages/history-slavic-languages-and-literatures-harvard-university>