96711 - RUSSIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE

Learning outcomes

The student knows the core features (contents, methods and instruments) necessary for the in-depth analysis of Russian culture and literature; s/he is able to apply this knowledge when tackling a range of semiotically challenging texts; s/he is able to acquire higher-level cultural and literary knowledge and competences independently, and to apply them to a wide range of novel texts.

Course contents

The course aims at analysing some authors and movements of Russian literature in the early twentieth century. Some of the most meaningful Symbolists, Acmeists and Futurists (both poets and philosophers) will be studied, such as Vladimir Solovyov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Blok, Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelstam,Vladimir Mayakovsky. Also, the prose works of Evgeny Zamyatin and Isaak Babel will be considered. 

The aim of the course is to introduce the literary and philosophical culture of the Silver Age and its fate after the Bolshevik revolution, and to provide theoretical tools to analyze the literary works of the early twentieth century.

Readings/Bibliography

Literary History and Theory:

1.Efim Etkind, Georges Nivat, Ilya Serman, Vittorio Strada (1989), Storia della letteratura russa: III. Il Novecento: 1. Dal decadentismo all’avanguardia, Torino, Einaudi, 1989.

2.Efim Etkind, Georges Nivat, Ilya Serman, Vittorio Strada (1989), Storia della letteratura russa: III. Il Novecento: 2. La rivoluzione e gli anni Venti, Torino, Einaudi, 1990.

3.Russkaya literatura XIX-XX vekov, Moskva: Izdatelstvo Moskovskogo Universiteta, 2002, t.2.

4. Juri Lotman, Semiosfera, SPb.: Iskusstvo SPb., 2000.

II. Literary and Poetic works (you must read the works in bold):

1. Vladimir Solovyov: 

 Smysl lyubvi (fragments), in Vladimir Solovyov., Izbrannye proizvedeniya, Moskva, Sovremennik, 1991, pp. 125-182. Accessibile online: http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/philos/solovyov/solovv21.htm

2. Vyacheslav Ivanov:

Vagner i Dionisovo deystvo (fragments) (online: http://www.v-ivanov.it/brussels/vol2/01text/01papers/2_004.htm);

Prozrachnost;

Fio, ergo non sum  

http://www.v-ivanov.it/brussels/vol1/03cycles/cycle_index_pr.htm

3. Aleksandr Blok:

Predchuvstvuyu Tebya. Goda prohodyat mimo...

 (https://traumlibrary.ru/book/blok-ss09-01/blok-ss09-01.html#s001002);

Neznakomka (https://traumlibrary.ru/book/blok-ss09-02/blok-ss09-02.html#s001006);

Dvenadcat (https://traumlibrary.ru/book/blok-ss09-03/blok-ss09-03.html#s003)

4. Anna Akhmatova:

Byl on revnivym, trevozhnym i nezhnym...;

Muza

(https://imwerden.de/pdf/akhmatova_sochineniya_v_6t_tom1_1998__ocr.pdf)

Muzhestvo (https://vk.com/doc168365195_308105305?hash=XXD1pv8BeKCbndpXvQAbyki7Nk4E5uffOtv4KRdLCus);

Rekviem (fragments) (https://vk.com/doc168365195_308105364?hash=c2iPk1obwnFtiLZWodpSYiK3R4lEBOL62rSTMRZxMq0)

5. Vladimir Mayakovsky:

Poslushayte!,

Vam,

Pismo Tatyane Jakovlevoy 

 (https://traumlibrary.ru/page/mayakovsky-pss13-01.html ; https://traumlibrary.ru/book/mayakovsky-pss13-09/mayakovsky-pss13-09.html#s002117)

6. Osip Mandelstam:

Ni o chem ne nuzhno govorit...;

Bessonnica. Gomer. Tugie parusa...; 

Kvartira tiha, kak bumaga...;

My zhivyom, pod soboyu ne chuya strany...;

Chetvertaya proza.

(https://imwerden.de/pdf/mandelstam_pss_tom1_2009_text.pdf;https://imwerden.de/pdf/mandelstam_pss_tom2_2010_text.pdf)

7. Evgeny Zamyatin, My (fragments). http://loveread.ec/view_global.php?id=13045

(Ital. translation by Alessandro Cifariello o Alessandro Niero).

8. Isaak Babel, Konarmiya (fragments). https://traumlibrary.ru/book/babel-ss04-02/babel-ss04-02.html

9. Mikhail Zoschenko, Banya; O vrede gramotnosti (sbornik "Nervnye lyudi")

https://traumlibrary.ru/page/zoschenko-ss07-02.html

10. Mikhail Bulgakov, Master i Margarita (fragments).

https://imwerden.de/publ-9536.html.

At will:

. Nadezhda Mandelstam, Vtoraya kniga https://imwerden.de/publ-5217.html In italiano: L'epoca e i lupi, Roma, 2006

2. Averincev i Mandelstam. Statyi i materialy, Moskva, 2011

https://mandelstam.hse.ru/data/2018/06/05/1150061944/%D0%90%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2%20%D0%B8%20%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BC.pdf

3. Lidiya Chukovskaya, Zapiski ob Anne Akhmatovoy, 1997

https://imwerden.de/pdf/chukovskaya_zapiski_ob_akhmatovoj_tom1_1997_text.pdf

You also may read the literary and poetic works in other editions.

The bibliography can be modified during the course.

 

Teaching methods

The students will be given the methodological instruments necessary to analyse literary and poetic works of the early twentieth century. 

The couse will aim at developing the student's skills of reading, interpreting a text and listening, through a philologycal analysis of the proposed texts in Russian and of the essential critics on them (in Russian and Italian).

The course will be held entirely in Russian. Refernce materials will be provided online (Moodle or e-mail).

The lessons are frontal and interactive. The students are invited to actively participate by volunteering answers, asking questions, or contributing to discussions.

Assessment methods

The oral test will be aimed at evaluating the student's theoretical knowledge concerning the treated authors and critics, as well as his/her critic ability in reading a literay text.

The evaluation will be based on the ECTS grading scale:

A [≈ 30/30 – 30/30 e lode]: outstanding performance with only minor errors;

B [≈ 27/30 – 29/30]: above the average standard but with some errors;

C [≈ 24/30 – 26/30]: generally sound work with a number of notable errors;

D [≈ 21/30 – 23/30]: fair but with significant shortcomings;

E [≈ 18/30 – 20/30]: performance meets the minimum criteria;

F [≈ 15/30 – 17/30]: Fail – some more work required before the credit can be awarded;

FX [≈ 0/30 – 14/30]: Fail – considerable further work is required.

Teaching tools

Moodle

Youtube

Links:

ImVerden.de

rvb.ru

traumlibrary.ru

v_ivanov.it (per gli studi critici sul simbolismo)

https://www.twirpx.com/

http://slovari.ru/start.aspx?s=0&p=3050

Office hours

See the website of Kristina Landa