National Identity in Russian Culture
An Introduction

This study explores aspects of national identity in Russian culture from medieval times to the present day.

Simon Franklin (Edited by), Emma Widdis (Edited by)

9780521024297, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 February 2006

260 pages, 29 b/w illus. 1 map
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.6 cm, 0.386 kg

'…Franklin and Widdis have offered an interesting and thorough narrative of identity in Russian culture.' The Slavonic and East European Review

What is Russia? Who are Russians? What is 'Russianness'? The question of national identity has long been a vexed one in Russia, and is particularly pertinent in the post-Soviet period. For a thousand years these questions have been central to the work of Russian writers, artists, musicians, film-makers, critics, politicians and philosophers. Questions of national self-identity permeate Russian cultural self-expression. This wide-ranging study, designed for students of Russian literature, culture, and history, explores aspects of national identity in Russian culture from medieval times to the present day. Written by an international team of scholars, the volume offers an accessible overview and a broad, multi-faceted introductory account of this central feature of Russian cultural history. The book is comprehensive and concise; it combines general surveys with a wide range of specific examples to convey the rich texture of Russian cultural expression over the past thousand years.

List of illustrations
1. 'All the Russias …?' Simon Franklin and Emma Widdis
Part I. Identities in Time and Space: 2. Russia in time Simon Franklin
3. Russia as space Emma Widdis
Part II. Contrastive Identities: 'Us' and 'Them': 4. 'Us': Russians on Russianness Hubertus F. Jahn
5. 'Them': Russians on foreigners Anthony Cross
Part III. 'Essential' Identities: 6. Identity and religion Simon Franklin
7. Music of the soul? Marina Frolova-Walker
8. Identity in language Boris Gasparov
9. Byt: identity and everyday life Catriona Kelly
Part IV. Symbols of Identity: 10. Monuments and identity Lindsey Hughes
11. 'Pushkin' and identity Stephanie Sandler
Afterword
Notes
Selected further reading in English
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD], Literary theory [DSA]