Programs in Russian language and literature teach people the spoken and written traditions of Russia. Students learn ancient and modern Russian and its dialects. They study how words begin and languages develop. They also learn to apply their knowledge to business and technology.

Russian is one of the five official languages of the United Nations. It has about 200 million speakers. It is a complex and rich language. In fact, the Russian poet Lomonosov, celebrated the language by saying that, "The Holy Roman Emperor Carl the Fifth used to say that one should speak Spanish with God, French with one's friends, German with one's enemies, and Italian with the fair sex. But had he been skilled in Russian, he would, of course, have added that it would be appropriate to speak with all of these in it, for he would have found in it the greatness of Spanish, the liveliness of French, the force of German, the tenderness of Italian, and, in addition, the richness and strong terse descriptiveness of Greek and Latin."

Especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, Russian poets and writers made huge cultural contributions through literature. In fact, Russian writing is considered some of the most important of all world literature. For example, the poet and writer Pushkin originated literary realism. Dostoevsky, who wrote "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov," sparked the existential movement. Tolstoy, author of "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," is perhaps Russia's most famous writer. He emphasized the idea of passive resistance, giving inspiration to both Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In Russian language and literature programs, you get to read these important works as well as other books, plays and poems by Russian literary greats, including Anton Chekhov, Isaac Babel, and Nikolai Gogol. You also study the culture and subcultures of Russia, both past and present. This includes studying Russia when it was under both tsarist and communist rule. You take courses from different fields of study, such as art and history. Most importantly, you learn to speak Russian. You also learn how to read and write the language. Most upper-level courses in this program require you to read important works of literature in their original form. In addition, many courses also teach you translation techniques.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in Russian language and literature. Some two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school. Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree. Most people with graduate degrees become professors.

Students who major in Russian language and literature may be able to choose concentrations such as:

• Conversation
• Dialects
• Folklore
• Interpreting
• Linguistics
• Literature and Literary Criticism
• Russian
• Teaching
• Translation