Russia s Silver Age, 1890-1920

The end of a century and the beginning of a new one can be a moment of self-consciousness, when people pause in their usual activities to reflect on the direction of their civilization and to wonder what the future might hold. Usually, the 1917 Revolution dominates our consciousness of the first decades of the 20th century in Russia. This course offers a chance to take an in-depth look at a different aspect of Russian life: the turbulent world of ideas and culture, in many ways shared with other European capitals, that we have come to know as the Silver Age. One of the great novels of the age, Andrei Bely’s Petersburg (1913), will be our window into the artistic currents, philosophical discussions, apocalyptic moods and revolutionary stirrings of turn-of-the-century Russia. Since the creators of the Silver Age thought of themselves as drawing on the whole of Russian and world culture for inspiration, I also hope that our focus on these 30 years will propel us both backwards and forwards in time so we can discuss broad themes of Russian history and culture.