Description: Russia's size, the diversity of its peoples and its unique geographical position straddling East and West have created a culture that is both inward and outward looking. Its history reflects the tension between very different approaches to what culture can and should be, and this tension shapes the vibrancy of its arts today. The highly successful first edition of Rzhevsky's Companion has been updated to include post-Soviet trends and new developments in the twenty-first century. It brings together leading authorities writing on Russian cultural identity, its Western and Asian connections, popular culture and the unique Russian contributions to the arts. Each of the eleven chapters has been revised or entirely rewritten to take account of current cultural conditions and the further reading brought up to date. The book reveals, for students, academic researchers and all those interested in Russia, the dilemmas, strengths and complexities of the Russian cultural experience.
Brief description: Nicholas Rzhevsky is Professor and Chairman of the Department of European Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Review Quotes: ..."these wide-ranging and stimulating essays synthesize modern scholarship, provide useful material for the specialist, and serve as a helpful reference work for the reader already familiar with modern Russian culture." Robert C. Williams, Slavic Review