HIA281 Rusia and Europe in Early Modern history

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 8 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Pavel Boček, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Pavel Boček, CSc.
Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The lecture will focus on the analysis of the formation of relations between Russia and Europe in the 16th to 18th centuries. Its ambition is not to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the mutual political relations, but to point out the key moments that these relationships substantially completed or transformed. The central themes will include the question of Russia‘s position between Europe and the steppes, of the emergence and formation of the Russian Empire and the establishment of more intense relations between it and the European states. Much attention will be paid to the role of the Orthodox faith and the church in creating the principles of Russian foreign policy. The cultural influences of the Western European environment will not be ignored, which from the end of the 15. century became a very significant phenomenon, which helped to integrate Russia into the structure of European relations and at the same time strengthened its belief in its own uniqueness. It also touches on the very sensitive questions of the status of Little Rus (Ukraine), whose solution always affected relations between Russian and Europe.
Learning outcomes
After the end of the lectures, the students will be able to:
to define Russia's position between Europe and the steppes
to explain the principles of the creation of the Russian foreign policy
understand the issues associated the emergence and formation of the Russian empire
affect the role of orthodoxy and the orthodox church in the creation of relations between Russia and Europe
explain the consequences of the influence of european culture on the Russian environment
think informed over the question of "Russia and Europe" in early modern times
Syllabus
  • Ivan III between the Steppes and Europe.
  • Ivan IV and the beginnings of the Russian Empire of 16th century in the eyes of Europe.
  • Who is the White Tsar? Russia and the Steppe in the second half of the 16th Century.
  • Smuta (Time of Troubles) at the beginning of the 17th century – the conflict between Europe and Russia?
  • Alexei Mikhailovich and patriarch Nikon. The origins of the Russian Orthodox imperialism.
  • The Russian Baroque.
  • Little Rus (the Ukraine) between the east and the west.
  • The northern war and its consequences.
  • The enlightenment Europe and Russia
Literature
    required literature
  • FRIEDL, Jiří, Tomasz JUREK, Miloš ŘEZNÍK and Martin WIHODA. Dějiny Polska. Translated by Martin Veselka. Vydání první. Praha: NLN Nakladatelství lidové noviny, 2017, 690 stran. ISBN 9788074223068. info
  • ŠVANKMAJER, Milan. Dějiny Ruska. 6., dopl. vyd. Praha: NLN Nakladatelství lidové noviny, 2010, 601 s. ISBN 9788074220265. info
  • ŠVANKMAJER, Milan. Petr I. :zrození impéria. Praha: Lidové noviny, 1999, 322 s. ISBN 80-7106-301-0. info
  • MACŮREK, Josef. Dějepisectví evropského východu. První vydání. V Praze: nákladem Historického klubu, 1946, 349 stran. info
    recommended literature
  • DONNERT, Erich: Russland im Zeitalter der Aufklärung. Leipzig 1983.
  • RYCHLÍK, Jan, Bohdan ZILYNSKYJ and Paul R. MAGOCSI. Dějiny Ukrajiny. Vydání první. Praha: NLN, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2015, 524 stran. ISBN 9788071064091. info
  • KOSMAN, Marceli. Dějiny Polska. Translated by Jan Vitoň. Vyd. 1. Praha: Karolinum, 2011, 451 s. ISBN 9788024618425. info
  • PIPES, Richard and Stanislav PAVLÍČEK. Rusko za starého režimu. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2004, 404 s. ISBN 8072035592. info
  • STÖKL, Günther. Russische Geschichte : von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Edited by Manfred Alexander. 6., erw. Aufl. Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner, 1997, ix, 961. ISBN 3520244063. info
  • ŠPIDLÍK, Tomáš. Ruská idea :jiný pohled na člověka. Vyd. 1. Velehrad: Refugium, 1996, 414 s. ISBN 80-86045-02-1. info
  • MASARYK, Tomáš Garrigue. Rusko a Evropa : studie o duchovních proudech v Rusku. Edited by Vratislav Doubek - František Kautman. 1. vyd. Praha: Ústav T.G. Masaryka, 1996, 456 s. ISBN 8090197175. info
  • KAPPELER, Andreas. Rußland als Vielvölkerreich : Entstehung, Geschichte, Zerfall. München: C.H. Beck, 1992, 400 stran. ISBN 3406475736. info
  • MACŮREK, Josef. Dějiny východních Slovanů. První vydání. V Praze: Melantrich, 1947, 214 stran. URL info
  • MACŮREK, Josef. Dějiny východních Slovanů. První vydání. V Praze: Melantrich, 1947, 284 stran. URL info
  • MASARYK, Tomáš Garrigue. Rusko a Evropa : studie o duchovních proudech v Rusku : sociologické skizzy k ruské filosofii dějin a náboženství. [Praha: s.n., 1918. info
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/HIA281