Projects from HIS 3342: Russia Since 1861 with Dr. Liana Kirillova
"Peace, Labor, Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood, Happiness"
Introduction to Student Projects
The following digital exhibits were created by students in HIS 3342 (Russia since 1861), an upper-level history course at Baylor University. This course examines Russia’s transformation from the late imperial period through the Soviet era and into the post-Soviet present, with particular emphasis on the enduring role of empire in shaping political authority, social dynamics, and cultural expression. Key themes include nationality policy, multiculturalism, and internationalism—concepts that help illuminate how successive Russian regimes governed their diverse populations and asserted their influence beyond national borders.
As a culminating assignment, students designed digital exhibits using Google Sites to explore focused topics related to these themes. Each project presents a well-defined argument grounded in extensive primary source research drawn exclusively from the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society at Baylor. The Keston Center’s remarkable collections—rich in materials on religion, dissent, nationality issues, and transnational networks—provided students with access to unique and often underutilized documents that are rarely available elsewhere. These sources formed the foundation of each exhibit, complemented by engagement with relevant secondary literature to provide historical context and interpretation.
The resulting projects reflect the intellectual creativity and research skills of advanced undergraduate students. They demonstrate critical engagement with sources, thoughtful historical analysis, and effective communication of complex ideas in a digital format. Taken together, the exhibits offer a compelling and multifaceted exploration of Russia’s imperial legacies and the ongoing debates over identity, power, and cultural pluralism.
The Exhibits
Catholic Oppression in the Polish People’s Republic, 1970-1990
Creating a Soviet Jewish Identity: Birobidzhan and Soviet Nationality Policies
Drugged Dissent
For the Good of the Motherland: Idealizing Child Labor in the Soviet Union
Psychiatric Power: The Misuse of Psychiatry in Russia from 1980-1990
Solidarity and Suppression: The Soviet Struggle for Control in Poland
Soviet Nationality Policy and the Collapse of the USSR
The Sino-Soviet Split: The Breakup Between the Two Communist Giants
Touring the Iron Curtain: Western Tourism and Cold War Propaganda in the 1980s