Siberia: Russia's Frozen Wasteland or Economic Heartland?
Osher Online | Registration opens Tuesday, February 3, 2026 10:00 AM
Siberia covers three quarters of Russia’s territory but is home to only a quarter of its population. Yet its role in shaping Russia as a vast and wealthy empire is profound. In this course, we will explore Siberia’s economic significance, indigenous cultures, and history as a penal colony, along with its importance for climate change, environmental issues, and Russian-Chinese relations. We will also consider Siberia’s role in both the rise and possible fragmentation of Russia.
WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 1 THROUGH MAY 5 Each live session (via Zoom) is 90 minutes
Wednesday, April 1Wednesday, April 8Wednesday, April 1Wednesday, April 22Wednesday, April 29Wednesday, May 5
Class schedule: Live lectures will take place via ZOOM
As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu. The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website. Please save the link once you receive it. Multi-session courses will use this same link each week.
Asya Pereltsvaig
Asya Pereltsvaig, PhD 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 is Languages of the World: An Introduction, 4th edition. Pereltsvaig is a popular instructor for several OLLI programs around the country.