Siberia: Russia's Frozen Wasteland or Economic Heartland? (Lecture)




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Siberia constitutes three quarters of Russia’s territory, but only a quarter of the country’s population lives there. Yet, the role of Siberia in making Russia a large and wealthy empire should not be underestimated. In this course, we will discuss Siberia’s role in the rise, and possibly imminent dismantling, of Russia as a unified state; Siberia’s economic importance, both historically and today; the region’s indigenous peoples and their cultures; its role as a penal colony throughout history and how that function transformed the region; its importance for climate change and environmental issues; and the relations between Russia and China, in which Siberia plays a crucial role.

Your instructor: Asya Pereltsvaig
Asya Pereltsvaig received a degree in English and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Linguistics from McGill University. She taught at Yale and Stanford, and has been teaching in lifelong education programs since 2010. Her expertise is in language and history, and the relationship between them. Her most recent book, Languages of the World: An Introduction, 4th edition (2023) was published by Cambridge University Press. Asya is a popular instructor for several OLLI programs around the country and was the faculty host for the OLLI trip to the Baltic countries and St. Petersburg in July 2017.


Class Dates and Time: Wednesdays, April 1 through May 6
10am Pacific | 11am Mountain | 12pm Central | 1pm Eastern
Each session is 90 minutes. 
 
 Class schedule: Live lecture will take place on Wednesdays via ZOOM 
  • 4/1/2026
  • 4/8/2026
  • 4/15/2026
  • 4/22/2026
  • 4/29/2026
  • 5/6/2026

Class Details

6 Session(s)
Weekly - Wed

Location
Virtual - Any Location

Instructor
Osher Online 

Tuition: 

$70.00

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Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
4/1/2026 - 5/6/2026 Weekly - Wed 12:00 PM - 01:30 PM N/A, Virtual - Any Location  Map Osher Online 

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