This multidisciplinary course sheds light on the ‘alternative side’ of modern city life in Russia. It explores Russia’s two metropolises, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, where a small, but vibrant middle class has prospered and is looking for new, often non-political ways to express its creative ambitions. In both cities, local experiments, citizen initiatives and cultural innovations have flourished in recent years, with hotspots emerging that are producing and attracting internationally prominent artists, media experts and other creative professionals.

Level: Bachelor’s students, interested members of the public