This course deals with forms and processes of the Russian culture of 2000s. It is focused on analyses of cultural texts belonging to literature, art, music and theatre as well as TV, radio and the Internet. It aims to present and interpret popular novels, films and shows from the point of view of their cultural meanings and relevant cultural languages.

It also studies widespread cultural practices with their specific features, like blogging, mass engagement into social nets, shopping, taking pictures and visiting photo exhibitions, listening to FM radio and reading "ironic crime stories", etc. - in order to come to better understanding of the variety of today's Russian culture.

One of the main goals of this course is to show interconnections between presumably "high" and "low" cultural forms, which are mixed and synthesized into the "nobrow" culture of the global information society.

Methodologically this interdisciplinary course is linked to cultural studies, semiotics and discourse analysis. Therefore keywords for interpretation of cultural forms and practices are: language, cultural meanings, text, narrative, discourse, representation, ideology, media, everyday life, subcultures and audiences.

"Contemporary Russian culture: introduction into cultural studies" is addressed to students of the Russian language and culture as well as to those who study European media, arts and literature of the 2000s.

Prospective themes:

• "Serious media" vs "media entertainment": changing landscape of Russian radio and TV
• Internet: cultural specifics of Russian blogs and social nets
• Internet: users' identity and autobiography in "100 facts about yourself"
• Popular literature: quest for new forms and cultural play with readers
• Popular literature: phenomenon of women's crime stories
• Cinema: blockbusters and experimental forms
• Languages of the contemporary Russian art
• Photography: cultural "boom" of 2000s
• Innovations and traditions in theatre and performance
• Pop- and rock music in today's Russian culture
• Fashion: haut couture and everyday styles.