The Department of East Slavic Languages and Literatures at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb offers two double major programmes: Russian Language and Literature and Ukrainian Language and Literature. The Russian Language and Literature Programme has a long tradition and it is the leading programme of this kind in Croatia. The Ukrainian Language and Literature Programme is the only one in Croatia.
Literary Science Institute is also a part of the Department
History
1879 In the winter semester, Fran Celestin, the founder of the Croatian university Russian studies, started teaching the courses Particularities of declension in Russian and History of Russian literature.
The first half of the 20th century – courses related to Russian language and literature were taught by Tomislav Maretić, Stjepan Ivšić, Milan Rešetar.
1945 The Russian Language and Literature Section was established within the Slavic seminar. The Chair was Josip Badalić.
1961 The Russian Language Section was established, chaired by Antica Menac. Also, the Russian Literature Section was established, chaired by Aleksandar Flaker.
1964 Ukrainian language lectorate was established with the Russian Language Section. It was held biennially; at the beginning it was intended for the students of Russian, and later also for all other students of the Faculty.
1984 Ukrainian language lectorate started to be held annually.
1992 Ukrainian language lectorate becomes free lectorate.
1997 The four-year programme in Ukrainian language and literature was initiated.
2001 The Ukrainian Language and Literature Section was established, its first chair was Milenko Popović.
2001 The Ukrainian Language and Literature Section was awarded the Plaquette of the President of the Croatian parliament “for special contribution to the improvement in cooperation of the two countries, the Croatian and Ukrainian nations”.
2003, 2004 As part of the Summer School of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, programmes dedicated to topics related to Russian language and literature were held.
2005 New study programmes in Russian Language and Literature and Ukrainian Language and Literature are introduced, harmonised with the Bologna process principles.
2008 As part of the Summer School of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the programme “Russian Film” was held, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Russian cinematography.
2008 Academics Antica Menac and Aleksandar Flaker were awarded state decorations of the Republic of Ukraine “For merits” of the 3rd degree (for merits in the development of Croatian Ukrainian studies).
2010 Ukrainian Parliament plaquettes were awarded to Milenko Popović and Jevgenij Paščenko.
2011 Ukrainian Parliament plaquette was awarded to Rajisa Trostinska.
Sections
Russian Language Section
Russian Literature Section
Ukrainian Language and Literature Section
Study Programme Structure
Russian Language and Literature and Ukrainian Language and Literature are double major programmes, and they are structured as follows: 4 years (undergraduate programme) and 1 year (graduate programme).
To complete the undergraduate programmes in Russian Language and Literature and Ukrainian Language and Literature, students need to earn 120 ECTS credits, and they obtain the following degrees: the university bachelor’s (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) degree in Russian language and literature, and the university bachelor’s (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) degree in Ukrainian language and literature, respectively.
In addition to obligatory courses in Russian and Ukrainian languages and literatures, students may attend elective courses in Russian literature and Ukrainian language and literature or elective courses offered within the programme and the Faculty.
In the graduate programme students can choose between two programmes. In the Russian Language and Literature programme they may opt for the Programme in Translation or the Programme in Teaching, and in the Ukrainian Language and Literature programme for the Programme in Translation and Culturology and the Programme in Teaching. After completing the programme, students earn not less than 30 ECTS credits and obtain the following degrees: Master of Russian language and literature or Master of Ukrainian language and literature; Master of Education in Russian language and literature or Master of Education in Ukrainian language and literature.
As for the Programme in Teaching, the students of both Russian and Ukrainian attend obligatory methodology courses offered by the Department of East Slavic Languages and Literatures, and obligatory courses in pedagogy and didactics offered by the Centre for Teacher Education.
Scientific and research activities and international cooperation
The scientific and research activities of the Department of East Slavic Languages and Literatures are very intense. They may be divided into the following segments: research of various aspects of Russian and Ukrainian languages in contrast to Croatian, but also other Slavic and non-Slavic languages; research of Russian and Ukrainian literatures and cultures in comparison with Croatian, and with other Slavic and non-Slavic literatures and cultures.
The Department of East Slavic Languages and Literatures encourages and promotes cooperation with many European universities. Scientific cooperation of Russian language and literature staff is very active, primarily with universities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Magnitogorsk, Kemerovo, then universities of Ljubljana, Maribor, Belgrade, Prague, Lviv, Innsbruck, Berlin, Greifswald, Trier, Budapest, etc. where they also hold lectures for students. Also, teachers from these universities hold guest lectures at our Department.
In its research activities, the Ukrainian Language and Literature Section cooperates with the Institute for Slavic studies of the Kyiv National University, with Lviv and Uzhhorod National Universities and the Institute for Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The Section also organizes guest lectures by relevant Ukrainian linguists and scientists.
Student activities
The Department of East Slavic Languages and Literatures encourages its students to participate in various European student exchange programmes (e.g. ERASMUS) and realises scientific and educational cooperation with institutions, primarily in the Russian Federation and Ukraine, under cooperation agreements between universities (e.g. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Saint Petersburg State University and Kemerovo State University; Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and Uzhhorod National University, Ostroh Academy in Ostroh) or under cooperation agreements between the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb and higher education institutions in the Russian Federation or Ukraine (Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture in Saint Petersburg and Faculty of Philology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University; National Pedagogical Dragomanov University in Kyiv). The majority of these institutions grant scholarships to students of Russian and Ukrainian languages and literatures – from short-term stays to semester scholarships.
Students of Russian language and literature can actively participate in the Association for Russian Language and Culture in Zagreb that marks many occasions and organises many events related to Russian language, literature and culture. Also, they may participate in other associations, e.g. the National Association of Russians in Croatia in Zagreb, but also in the ones registered outside of Zagreb.
The Ukrainian Language and Literature Section encourages students to participate in scientific and research and translation activities. Many graduates of Ukrainian and current students independently or in co-authorship with teachers publish valuable works on Ukrainian language, literature, history, culture. In 2013, within the Ucrainiana croatica edition, the collection Zakarpatska Ukrajina: povijest – tradicija – identitet (editor dr. Jevgenij Paščenko) was published, which included students’ translations of texts by philologists, ethnologists, historians and political scientists from Ukraine and other countries. Former student Dijana Dill translated a novel by the contemporary Ukrainian writer M. Matios Sweet Darusya from Ukrainian into Croatian (2011).
Students of Ukrainian language and literature closely cooperate with the organisations of Ukrainian national minority in the Republic of Croatia. Senior year students teach Ukrainian in Summer schools of Ukrainians in Croatia.
Since 2011, students of Ukrainian are also active in the “Ukrainian Studies Students Club” (KSU). The students association is engaged in the promotion of Ukrainian culture in Croatia and Croatian culture in Ukraine, and the KSU consists of music, dance, reciter, art, culinary and costume sections, and the “Horiv” choir.
The Ukrainian Language and Literature study programme includes a fieldwork which consists of travelling to Ukraine in one of the summer semesters of the undergraduate programme.
Employment opportunities
Upon the completion of the Russian Language and Literature programme, graduate professionals get employed in the educational system, i.e. they teach Russian in primary and secondary schools (Russian is most often taught as an elective course), and in foreign language courses. Employment in scientific or scientific and educational institutions is also possible (institutes, faculties).
Many graduate professionals get employed in translation, simultaneous or consecutive, either in companies that cooperate with the Russian Federation or in Russian offices of Croatian companies.
If the fact that lately many tourists from the Russian Federation come to Croatia is taken into account, many graduates of Russian language and literature get employed in tourism, where they work as tourist guides or entertainers. On the other hand, many Croatians travel to the Russian Federation, so the engagement of professionals in Russian language in literature is also possible in this respect.
Graduates of Russian language and literature may also get employed in other activities that require broad education in philology, but also in Russian language, literature and culture, e.g. in libraries, in the media, publishing companies, cultural institutions, economy, diplomatic missions, etc.
The graduate programme in Ukrainian language and literature qualifies students for professional or scientific work in Ukrainian studies, in schools (Ukrainian national minority in the Republic of Croatia), including schools and foreign language courses, in libraries, to work as translators, editors, in cultural institutions, the media, economy, trade and diplomatic missions, tourism, etc.