Preparation, background and reference Read newspapers, watch films and documentaries. Make sure that you acquire, before starting your course, at least a basic impression of some of the main features of Russian history and culture. The following books may be helpful, but if you browse in bookshops and libraries you will find others which will serve the purpose just as well. R. Auty, D.Obolensky, Companion to Russian Studies , vol. Translations of the major novels of e.g. Dostoevskii, Tolstoi, Turgenev, Sholokhov, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, are widely available.
Russian books can be difficult to locate.
These shops will provide information and catalogues on request. Heffers Bookshop in Cambridge will have copies of some set texts by the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. The Society's programme includes poetry readings, Russian and East European films, Russian conversation evenings as well as talks on the past and present of Eastern Europe. Language Courses 1. Apart from tuition, most firms provide accommodation with local Russian families and a varied cultural programme.