Bachelor
2026/2027
Foundations of Russian Statehood
ID 1112002
Type:
Compulsory course (Data Science and Business Analytics)
Delivered by:
School of History
Where:
Faculty of Humanities
When:
1 year, 3 module
Online hours:
34
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
2
Contact hours:
26
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Pre-requisites: basic knowledge of Russian history at the level of high school. The course "Foundations of Russian Statehood" is aimed at forming a system of knowledge, skills and competencies among students, as well as values, rules and norms of behavior related to the awareness of belonging to Russian society, the development of a sense of patriotism and citizenship, the creation of a spiritual, moral and cultural foundation of a developed and integral personality, awareness of the features of the historical path of the Russian state, the identity of its political organization and the pairing of individual dignity and personal success with social progress and political stability. The implementation of the course involves the consistent development of students' knowledge of ideas, scientific concepts, as well as historical, cultural, sociological and other information related to the problems of the development of Russian civilization and its statehood in historical retrospect and in the context of current challenges of political, economic, technogenic and other nature.
Learning Objectives
- to present the history of Russia in its continuous civilizational dimension, to reflect its most significant features, principles and current guidelines;
- to reveal the value-behavioral content of the sense of citizenship and patriotism, inseparable from the developed critical thinking, the free development of personality and the ability to make independent judgments about the current political and cultural context;
- to consider fundamental achievements, inventions, discoveries and achievements related to the development of the Russian land and the Russian civilization, to present them in an actual and meaningful perspective, educating in a citizen pride and belonging to his culture and his people;
- to present the key meanings, ethical and ideological doctrines that have developed within the Russian civilization and reflect its multinational, multi-confessional and solidary (communal) character;
- to consider the features of the modern political organization of Russian society, the causal nature and specifics of its actual transformation, the value support of traditional institutional solutions and the special multivariance of the relationship between the Russian state and society in the federal dimension;
- to investigate the most probable external and internal challenges facing the Russian civilization and its statehood at the moment, to identify the key scenarios of its long-term development;
- to identify the fundamental value principles (constants) of Russian civilization (unity of diversity, sovereignty (strength and trust), harmony and cooperation, love and responsibility, creation and development), as well as related value orientations of Russian civilizational development (such as stability, mission, responsibility and justice).
Expected Learning Outcomes
- to perceive and share a mature sense of citizenship and patriotism, to feel belonging to Russian civilisation and Russian society, to perceive personal development through the prism of the public wealth and moral guidelines relevant to a person.
- To have key information about the political system of one’s country, region, and local area, and to develop competencies in conscious historical perception and political analysis.
- To describe the modern Russian statehood and the country’s political system in a broad cultural, value‑based, and historical context; to understand the continuity of Russian history and the multi‑ethnic civilizational trajectory of its development.
- to participate in shaping and improving the political system of one’s homeland, to accept and share responsibility for what is happening in the country, to recognize the importance of one’s civic participation and the prospects for self‑realization in socio‑political life.
- Develop the skill of critical thinking and independent judgment, which will help improve one’s academic and research competencies.
- To perceive and share a mature sense of civic responsibility and patriotism, to feel one’s belonging to Russian civilization and Russian society, and to view one’s personal development through the lens of the common good and the moral and ethical guidelines that are relevant to the individual.
- To improve one’s skills in personal and mass communication, to develop the ability to compromise and engage in dialogue, and to respectfully accept the national, religious, cultural, and worldview characteristics of different peoples and communities.
Course Contents
- What is Russia?
- The Russian state‑civilization.
- The Russian worldview and the values of Russian civilization.
- The political structure of Russia.
- Challenges of the future and development of the country.
Assessment Elements
- ExamThe exam is conducted on the SmartLMS platform and includes 25 questions; the time limit is 30 minutes.
- Seminars
- Project
- SmartLMSThe student completes assignments for the course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” in the SmartLMS system.
Interim Assessment
- 2026/2027 3rd module0.6 * Seminars + 0.1 * Exam + 0.15 * Project + 0.15 * SmartLMS
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Crossroads in modern Russian history, Gaidar, Y., 2016
- Основы российской государственности : учеб. пособие, Харичев, А. Д., 2024
- Шумская К.В. - Основы российской государственности: для иностранных студентов, обучающихся по программам на английском языке. The foundations of Russian statehood: for foreign students enrolled in Еnglish language programs - 978-5-7782-5439-8 - Новосибирский государственный технический университет - 2025 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/document?id=479108 - 479108 - ZNANIUM
- Экарева, И. Л., The History of Russia in the World Context : учебное пособие / И. Л. Экарева. — Москва : Русайнс, 2026. — 145 с. — ISBN 978-5-466-10521-6. — URL: https://book.ru/book/960544 (дата обращения: 09.12.2025). — Текст : электронный.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- The image of Peter the Great in Russian history and thought, Riasanovsky, N. V., 1992