Fe University to offer Russian history course

MERCER, Wis. — For those interested in learning more about the other superpower of the second half of the 20th Century, Fe University is offering a Russian history class.

Retired Lawrence University professor Michael Hittle will teach the four-week class at the Mercer Public Library.

“This course will introduce students to some of the main themes of Russian’s history: its vast geographical scope; its diverse population; an authoritarian political tradition; an hierarchical social order; problems of economic development; and a long-established cultural tradition that centers on tension between Russia and western Europe,” a program spokesperson said in release announcing the class. “Coverage will include such watershed events as the Christianization of the country, expansion to the Pacific Ocean, the emancipation of the serfs, the revolutions of the 20th century and Russia in World War II. The course will also introduce conflicting interpretations of major events and the activities of important historical figures.”

The class, “Reading Russia’s Past,” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon on four consecutive Tuesdays beginning Jan. 9 at the library.

Hittle, who is a seasonal Mercer resident, received an undergraduate degree in Russian studies from Brown University and completed his graduate and doctoral work at Harvard University, according to the release.

He taught Russian history, as well as other classes, at Lawrence from 1966 to 2001.

Students participating in the class are asked to acquire and read “Russian History: A Very Short Introduction,” according to the release — new copies of which can be purchased through Fe University.

For more information on the class, or Fe University in general — including scholarship information — visit feuniversity.org or call 715-476-2881.

Registration forms can be picked up at the Mercer Library or the Iron County University of Wisconsin-Extension office in Hurley.

—Richard Jenkins