Russia features frequently in the news nowadays, but Russia is not only about politics. Who can imagine ballet without “The Nutcracker”, the Proms concerts without “1812 Overture”, or the classical novel without “War and Peace”? All these, and more, were created in Russia by Russians. This course is an introduction to Russia, the land, its people and culture. We shall look at topics such as geography, art, music, language and religion, all in a historical context.