Class Description
In this class, we will enter the world of Russian medieval folk epics, larger-than-life heroes, lives of saints and holy fools, and tales of socialist realism to explore not just their origin, interpretations, and traditions, but also their close relationship with contemporary Russia and the Russian state propaganda machine.
We will examine such diverse narratives as Yevgeny Shvarts’ play “The Dragon,” Eugene Vodolazkin’s novel “Laurus,” and contemporary Russian state propaganda video clips.
Julia Kriventsova Denne studied literature at St. Petersburg University, Russia, and teaches Russian literature and culture in the Chicago area.
Materials List
Required:
- James Bailey and Tatyana Ivanova, An Anthology of Russian Folk Epics. Routledge, 1998. ISBN: 978-0873326414
- Eugene Vodolazkin, Laurus. A Oneworld Book, 2015. ISBN: 978-1780748719
Recommended:
- Marina Balina, Helena Coscilo, and Mark Lipovetsky, Politicizing Magic: An Anthology of Russian and Soviet Fairy Tales. Northwestern University Press, 2005. ISBN: 978-0810120327
- Linda J. Ivanits, Russian Folk Belief. Routledge, 2014. ISBN: 978-0873328890
First Reading:
- Please read “Svyatogor” and “Epics about Ilya Muromets” for the first session.
Cost and Registration
Eight sessions, $305 ($274.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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