Russians have often been characterized as people with souls rather than selves. Self and Story in Russian History challenges the portrayal of the Russian character as selfless, self-effacing, or self-torturing by exploring the texts through which Russians have defined themselves as private persons and shaped their relation to the cultural community. The stories of self under consideration here reflect the perspectives of men and women from the last two hundred years, ranging from westernized nobles to simple peasants, from such famous people as Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Akhmatova, and Nicholas II...

The 12 essays in this volume break new ground in showing the ways in which ideas about sexuality, gender and the body have shaped and been shaped by Russian literature, history, art and philosophy from the medieval period to the present day. The essays draw on a wide range of approaches - from postmodern and Foucault-influenced theories to more traditional historical and philological readings - but all are informed by feminist theory and practice in studying how gender has shaped the representations of bodies and sexual pleasures in Russia. Subjects discussed include the figure of the...

Two hundred years after his birth, Alexander Pushkin still issues a dynamic, liberating challenge to Russia's cultural identity. His story has promised national coherence and meant artistic integrity in its seemingly purest form. Irreverent and polemical responses to Pushkin abound, but Russians retain a deep investment in Pushkin's image. Commemorating Pushkin argues that the emotional complexity of Russia's relationship with Pushkin has informed both large-scale cultural institutions and the writings of talented individuals. It assesses twentieth-century museums, anniversary rituals,...