IN PERSON

For many people, Russia remains a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” (as Winston Churchill put it). This course will provide you with an introduction to this huge and complex country, beginning with its vast geography and continuing through an exploration of its political structures, private lives and vibrant culture. What did it mean to be a serf? Why did Peter the Great want to open a window to Europe? What role has revolution and war played in shaping Russian civic life? How have Russian rulers used propaganda, and why does it work? What was it like to live through the end of the Soviet era – and how did that experience shape people’s attitudes toward Putin. We’ll explore these questions with lots of power points, film clips and short readings.  

Jane Costlow taught Russian and Environmental Humanities for over 30 years at Bates College. She has a Ph.D. in Russian literature, and has lived and travelled extensively (solo, with students and with her family) in Russia and Siberia.  

IN PERSON

Observers have noted the emergence of extremely fundamental Islamic groups such as Boko Haram, Taliban, the Islamic State among others. These groups did not suddenly appear but have a long ideological history and rationale behind them. This class explores the major thinkers that led to a divergence of Islamic ideology - both the more accommodating worldviews and the far more intolerant beliefs that have dominated much of the news since 2000.

After teaching chemistry from the time of four known elements, Chuck Parker decided upon retirement not to take up golf but to earn a master's degree in history at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, where he studied radical Islamic groups. Since graduating in 2014, Chuck has offered a series of classes in Middle Eastern history in Maine Senior Colleges.