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. 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.