Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center
REEEC at Illinois
The Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center is home to a wide variety of programs for members of the university community and the general public designed to expand understanding of and promote knowledge about Russia, and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. REEEC receives major support for programming and FLAS fellowships through the U.S. Department of Education through its Title VI program, for which REEEC serves as a designated National Resource Center.
Featured News
- We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Wistrand has joined the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center (REEEC) at the University of Illinois as Associate Director.Dr. Jennifer Wistrand is a cultural anthropologist whose research, teaching, and professional interests span our region.... Read full story
- On April 24, 2026, REEEC M.A. student Jared Meunier presented a Noontime Scholars Lecture titled “Sharp Power and the Enjoyment of Crisis: The Mueller Report as Simulated Justice.”Meunier, a second-year M.A. student in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, examined how autocratic influence... Read full story
- Students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered at the Levis Faculty Center on March 27 to celebrate Nauryz, a traditional spring holiday symbolizing renewal, friendship, and new beginnings.The event was organized through a partnership among the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center... Read full story
REEEC Graduating Student Profile: Tabitha Cochran (MA, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; MS, Library and Information Science)
More News
2026-01-05 - On October 30, 2025, the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center hosted a New Directions Lecture titled “Russia in World History: Updating the Long Telegram,” featuring historians Choi Chatterjee and Karen Petrone.Chatterjee is Professor Emerita of History at California State University, Los Angeles, and co-director of the Urban Ecology Center. She is the author of Russia in World History...
2025-10-29 - On September 28, 2025, REEEC, the Slavic Department, and the Ukrainian Studies Fund hosted a public engagement event in Chicago at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. This event raised over $50,000 in support of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.- 2025-10-20 - REEEC is pleased to welcome two visiting scholars this fall: Iliyana Dimitrova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo St. Cyril and St. Methodius in Bulgaria and Oleksandr Kovrov from the Dnipro University of Technology in Ukraine.
REES 296 - Intro to Bulgarian Culture
REES Special Topics This course introduces students to the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Bulgaria. Through discussions of history, art, folklore, film, and contemporary life, we will explore how Bulgarians express their identity within the context of the Balkans and Europe – at the cultural crossroads between East and West. Special attention will be given to values, behaviors, beliefs, and emotions. The course will include lectures, discussions, films, and interactive sessions. No knowledge of Bulgarian language is required.
REES 496 - The South Caucasus
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, the countries of the South Caucasus, are perhaps best known historically as a geographical (and geological) fault zone “between East and West” that is set against stunning mountain backdrops, imposing stone architecture, and traditions of hospitality. Today, the region is attracting refugees, adventure tourists, and international energy corporations, even as each country continues to deal with periods of stagnation, conflict, and rapid change following the collapse of the U.S.S.R. This course will take an anthropological perspective on the South Caucasus, drawing on archaeological and ethnographic studies as well as interdisciplinary texts (geography, history, political science, sociology) and media (dance, film, artwork, song) to explore the foundational myths, historical landscapes, and cultures of the South Caucasus from the Paleolithic to the Roman period and the Medieval to the Post-Soviet present. Importantly, we will read and discuss authors and artists from the region and diaspora to critically engage with Western and Russian conceptions of the South Caucasus. Together as a class we will explore the intersection of history, politics, religion, and the arts with identity, ethnicity, and subjectivity.
REES 496 - Contemporary Autocracy in Theory, Law, and Practice
Based on case studies from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, this class explores contemporary legal, media, and political practices used by autocratic actors to assert their power. The course analyzes the impact of these practices on the rule of law, human rights and freedoms, sustainable development, and democracy in general, both in the region and globally. It provides a historical overview of the development of autocratic practices, an introduction to its scholarly analysis using concepts from law, philosophy, and politics, and an investigation of specific contemporary examples. The course will be delivered in a seminar format. There are no prerequisites, although familiarity with political context in the region is helpful.
HIST 560 - Privilege, Obligation, and Empire in Russia 1762-1934
How do privilege and obligation work in every day life? By what means are some people empowered to act freely, while others are subordinated to perform specific roles? This history seminar will explore these questions on the basis of experiences drawn from the history of Russian empire. Chronologically, the course will consider several waves of emancipation and subordination across Eurasia and several state formations, from absolutism to early socialism. Substantively, the course will combine innovative, comparative theoretical readings on privilege and obligation with in-depth consideration of primary sources drawn from literature, politics, music, the history of communication, revolution, and repression. Our focus will be on understanding the full range of factors that go into the making of freedom and unfreedom in society, as well as the cultural forms through which they are imagined and expressed.
POL 115 - Intro into Polish Culture
Introduction to Polish culture and literature from a broad historical perspective. Drawing on novels and plays, film, the visual arts, and works of historical research, the course provides students with the basic concepts, methodologies and theories of literary and cultural interpretation, with an emphasis on modern Polish culture (1800-2010) within a broader European context.
SLAV 419 - Russian And East European Film
Study and analysis of major film makers, genres, trends, and theories, including the 1920's Soviet avant garde and the Polish and Czech "New Wave" since 1953; lectures, discussions, screenings, term paper. No reading knowledge of Russian required, except for majors in Slavic Languages and Literatures.