Modern Russian Literature in Historical Context

This seminar explores key Russian texts across genres and eras, tracing developments from early classical works through the Soviet period. Lessons emphasize historical and cultural context, literary features, and close reading. Students are expected to complete outside reading and come prepared to discuss; optional weekly writing assignments may be submitted for additional feedback.

Materials needed:

Students will need access to the following texts:

Week 2- Eugene Onegin (poem) by Pushkin http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23997/23997-h/23997-h.htm

Week 3- White Nights by Dosteovsky http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36034/36034-h/36034-h.htm

Week 4- Fathers and Sons by Turgenev http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47935/47935-h/47935-h.htm

Week 5- The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy https://web.stanford.edu/~jsabol/existentialism/materials/tolstoy_death_ilyich.pdf

Week 6- The Cherry Orchard (play) by Chekhov https://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/ac/chorch.htm

Week 7- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Solzhenitsyn http://www.kkoworld.com/kitablar/aleksandr_soljenitsin_ivan_denisovichin_bir_gunu-eng.pdf

Week 8- Oman Ra by Pelevin (purchase or find at the library)