RUSSIAN HISTORY|EARLY MODERN HISTORY|EUROPEAN HISTORY|RUSSIA

When the Riurikid dynasty unexpectedly came to an end in 1598, Muscovy was plunged into civil war. Beginning with that chaotic ‘Time of Troubles’,...

When the Riurikid dynasty unexpectedly came to an end in 1598, Muscovy was plunged into civil war. Beginning with that chaotic ‘Time of Troubles’, this course analyses the ways in which the Romanov dynasty installed in 1613 restored stability and secured their territories against enemy incursion. To some extent, they drew on Western models, but it was only when Peter the Great (r. 1682-1725) built a new capital at St Petersburg that Russia fully confronted European civilization. Over the course of the following century, Westernization transformed the Russian elite, bringing noble culture into contact with the European Enlightenment under Catherine the Great (1762-96), the most celebrate ruler of her age. However, as the state counted the cost of its new army, its extensive multi-national territories and its glittering cosmopolitan capital, the people paid the price. Risk-averse serfs relapsed into traditional collective responsibility as the only way to meet their rulers’ fiscal demands. The more the tsars tried to modernise their state, the more backward their empire became. Alexander I’s defeat of Napoleon in 1812-14 made Russia the greatest continental power in Europe. But as the Crimean War was to show, the colossus had feet of clay. The course covers a wide range of social, political, cultural and diplomatic topics, and you can choose from these in writing your essays.

This is a residential course (self-catering in a beautiful old cottage) based in rural Dorset during the month of May. The course will be delivered through a...

This is a residential course (self-catering in a beautiful old cottage) based in rural Dorset during the month of May. The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures (2-3 hours in the mornings for 5 days), fieldwork (late morning to late afternoon) and laboratory sessions (late afternoon and some evenings). Fieldwork will take place in a range of environments including shallow lakes, ponds, chalky rivers, ditches and coastal lagoons. The course will also cover aquatic conservation issues and the general natural history of the area. It will be a real natural history-lovers treat! Aside from wetland plants, we will use this course as a means of talking on general countryside conservation issues and of introducing characteristic birds, plants and animals of the area, including some special surprises.

The following specific topics are covered:

structure and ecology of freshwater-brackish aquatic plants
	role of aquatic macrophytes in aquatic ecological functioning
	methods for surveying aquatic macrophytes
	design of sampling programmes for water plants
	taxonomy and identification of aquatic macrophytes
	importance of aquatic macrophytes to conservation and water legislation
The module aims:

to introduce students to the structure, ecology and identification of aquatic macrophytes, including the full range of wetland plants
	to provide students with practical skills in the field sampling of aquatic macrophytes in lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands in general
Coronavirus note: Due to COVID-19 updates, there may need to be changes to planned field trips for this module. This will depend on travel restrictions, social distancing measures, and the availability of the relevant venues. We will keep you updated if any changes need to be made and on alternative options, as successfully used in 2020-2021.

Please note that the cost of the field class to students is approximately £300