When Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" was published, Dostoevsky enthused that ‘at last the existence of the Russian people had been justified.’ In this course we’ll discuss the role of Russian literature in world culture from a Russian perspective, in forming the Russian national cultural code and shaping the national identity. We’ll analyse some literary samples from Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekhov and Silver Age poetry, discuss the life and works of the Nobel prize winners Pasternak and Alexievich and compare the paths of Russian writers under the Soviet regime. The course is based on PowerPoint presentations and supplemented with handouts, a Reading list and links to some classical films.
Course aim
To introduce the Russian perception of the role of Russian literature in world culture by analysing a few samples from Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Silver age poetry and discussing the life and works of some Russian Nobel prize winners.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
- It is not compulsory, but advisable to read one or two Russian literary works – stories, poems, novels - prior to the course to share your ideas.
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Establish the role of Russian literature in world culture from the Russian perspective.
- Analyse a few samples from Russian literature of 19th and 20th CC.
- Discuss the life and fate of some Literature Nobel prize Russian winners.
- Compare the two paths of Russian writers during the Soviet regime.
What else do I need to know?
It would be good if you could read any books – stories, poems, novels - by Russian authors before the course to share your experience.
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