This course, focussed on the life and work of some of Russia’s most outstanding personalities, will begin with the work of Andrey Rublëv, Russia’s most famous icon painter, and his circle, and the Byzantine background to Russian iconography. Russia’s greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin, and his immortal poem ‘Yevgeny Onegin’ will be the subject of the second unit, while the third will be devoted to the novelist Ivan Turgenev. The fourth unit will provide an overview of the music of Alexander Borodin and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, with the fifth unit being devoted to the music of Tchaikovsky, Russia’s first professionally-trained composer. The course will conclude with a unit on the life and tragic death of the last Tsar and Tsarina, Nicholas II and Alexandra.

This is a Discussion Group course, if you aren’t already part of a group please see ‘Getting Started’ below.

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Author: Robert Forgacs

Course Code: D232

Supplied Material: Course Booklet, CDs + USB

Units & Pricing: 6 units / $78 per person

GETTING STARTED

Start your Group: Anyone can start a Discussion Group – seek out some like-minded friends or put up a notice in your local library, bookshop or workplace. Please note a minimum of 6 people is required to start a new discussion group.

Arrange the Meetings: New groups need to decide where and when to meet, and for how long – whatever best suits members' particular situations.

Run your Group: Choose a secretary to liaise with WEA and your tutor, a Discussion Leader to chair meetings, a reporter to take discussion notes to send to your tutor, and maybe a librarian to look after the books.

Start the Course: Contact WEA Sydney to enrol. Bookings can be made for one year, divided into two terms – Term 1 commences in February, Term 2 in July (Groups may make forward bookings for popular choices). Please indicate in what order your Group wishes to study the courses, if more than one course is booked.