Russia and The Other: A Cultural Approach
Slavic 194 (Fall 2003)

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Readings

 

The Course Reader

clich here to go the the course schedule

 

Theory

 

  1. Clifford Geertz, “Thick Description” (his Interpretation of Cultures)

  2. Manuel Castells, “Nations and Nationalism in the Age of Globalization.” In: Network Society. Vol.II: The Power of Identity. Blackwell, 1997. Pp. 27-41.

  3. Edward Said, Orientalism (selections)

  4. Victor Shklovsky, On estrangement (ostranenie) (“Art as Device”)

 

Prose and Fiction

 

  1. Sofonia's Tale of the Russian-Tatar Battle on the Kulikovo Field (Zadonshchina)

  2. Custine, Astolphe, Marquis de, Empire of the Tsar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia (orig. Russie en 1839). Intro. By George Kennan (Doubleday, 1989). Selections.

  3. Leo Tolstoy, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”

  4. Nik Leskov, The Enchanted Wanderer.

  5. Nik. Leskov, “Archbishop and the Englishman”

  6. Vl. Soloviev, “A Short Story of the Anti-Christ.”  From: Vl. Solovyev, War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations. NY, 1990.

  7. Vsevolod Ivanov, “The Child” (Dityo)

  8. Mikh. Zoshchenko, “The Bath House” (Zochchenko, Nervous People. Trans. Hugh McLean. NY, 1963)

  9. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Harvard University Commencement Address (in Ronald. Berman, ed., Solzhenitsyn at Harvard: the address, twelve early responses, and six later reflections [Wash., 1980)

Poetry

 

  1. Adam Mickiewicz, “Digression” from Forefathers’ Eve. In Waclaw Lednicki, Pushkin's Bronze horseman; the story of a masterpiece. Berkeley, 1955.

  2. Alexander Pushkin, Bronze Horseman. Ibid.

  3. Fyodor Tyutchev, “Umom Rossiiu ne poniat’”

  4. A. Blok, “Na Pole Kulikovom,” “Skify”

  5. Vlad. Mayakovsky, “The Brooklyn Bridge” (Bruklinskii most”)

 

Books on Order

 

  1. Martin Malia, Russia Under Western Eyes : From the Bronze Horseman to the Lenin Mausoleum. Harvard UP, 1999

  2. Leo Tolstoy, Hadji Murad. Aylmer Maude, tr.Orchises Press, 1996

  3. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Winter Notes on Summer Impressions. David Patterson, tr. North Western UP, 1997.

  4. Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities. NY, 1991

 

All required readings are on reserve at Green, in addition to these recommended ones:

 

  1. Nicholas Riasanovsky, History of Russia. Oxford UP, 1999.

  2. Gregory L. Freeze, ed., Russia: A History. Oxford UP, 2000

  3. Anthony Easthorpe, Contemporary Film Theory. Longman, 1993