One of the department’s traditional research fields is the history of Russia and Poland in the early modern period. More recently, it has broadened its foci: Besides cultural and social history of Russia and East Central Europe in 19^th and 20^th century it addresses questions of imperial history as well as of visual and media culture. Another research field is devoted to the individual and its role in socialist societies in Russia and East Central Europe. The department also includes the section of Hungarian history and philology.