The Songs Of St Petersburg

Pushkin's palaces or Dostoevsky's slums? Many a modern-day visitor to St. Petersburg has one or, more likely, both of these images in mind when setting foot in this stage set-like setting for some of the world's most treasured literary masterpieces. What they overlook is the vast uncharted territory in between. In Mapping St. Petersburg, Julie Buckler traces the evolution of Russia's onetime capital from a "conceptual hierarchy" to a living cultural system--a topography expressed not only by the city's physical structures but also by the literary texts that have helped create it. By favoring noncanonical works and "underdescribed spaces," Buckler seeks to revise the literary monumentalization of St. Petersburg--with Pushkin and Dostoevsky representing two traditional albeit opposing perspectives--to offer an off-center view of a richer, less familiar urban landscape. She views this grand city, the product of Peter the Great's ambitious vision, not only as a geographical entity but also as a network of genres that carries historical and cultural meaning. We discover the busy, messy "middle ground" of this hybrid city through an intricate web of descriptions in literary works; nonfiction writings such as sketches, feuilletons, memoirs, letters, essays, criticism; and urban legends, lore, songs, and social practices--all of which add character and depth to this refurbished imperial city.

On one level, this book is the story of an epic 6000-kilometer road trip from the frigid shores of the Barents Sea to Sochi, Russia’s southernmost tip on the Black Sea. Dubbed "The Spine of Russia," the adventure tasked a mismatched duo of Russian and American journalists with capturing a view of Russia from the ground, to collect powerful images and honest human stories that offered a more subtle, complex picture of the world's largest country. But this book is far more than just a travel essay. For it intertwines fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. It is a story told with humor and with the insight derived from the author’s three decades of intimate interactions with Russia. Among the many interesting stories in the book: An expedition to “The Well to Hell” A music school in one of the most polluted towns on earth An energetic youth activist branded as a foreign agent Russia’s largest manufacturer of barbells (who also makes cloudberry preserves) A roadside berry seller recently paroled from prison A blacksmith who is a Jehovah’s Witness A bone-chilling trip to the foundation place of the Russian state The slightly off-kilter leader of St. Petersburg’s Cossack community A retired village doctor who can’t stop working, because he won’t be replaced A piece of Nebraska transplanted into the middle of Russia’s Black Earth region There were also craft beer makers, ballroom dancers, policemen, restaurant owners, an opera student, a priest, a single mother, an accessibility activist, teachers, docents, a best-selling author, soap makers, journalists, a sailor, a winemaker, and a woman taking on the male-dominated world of Russian hockey. And no trip to Russia would be complete without a run-in with security officials in leather jackets. So there is also that. Taken together, the stories from this epic road trip create a compelling portrait of Russia and its people. The book could not be more timely; recent events show how vital it is for Americans to continue working to understand Russia.

A trio of novellas on the Russian Revolution. One is set at the dawn of the revolution, a second describes the flight from its turmoil and a third, The Big City, is set in New York and deals with the experience of exile and the loneliness of immigrant life. Zoya Andreyevna -- The big city.

Faberge jewels, the mysterious Rasputin, and a priceless violin: each plays a part in one young woman's fight for survival, and for love, in revolutionary Russia. St. Petersburg, 1911. Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive, and devoted to revolution. Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin. As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stadivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But what man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Vanora Bennett's Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

A fascinatingly many-sided personality ... Vadim Bytensky retains the broadly arching interests of the traditional Russian intellectual ... a man with a broad and devoted knowledge of world literature, music, philosophy, and politics that constantly illuminate his traveler’s observations.” “Bytensky emerges ... as a well-rounded and harmonious personality, who combines sober reasoning with a romantic enthusiasm, a sentimental attachment to an old cultural inheritance, and an open, if sometimes skeptical and critical, curiosity about things new.”

Humans have always made music and this authoritative and lavishly illustrated guide is your companion to its fascinating history across the globe. Music - that mysterious alchemy of harmonies, lyrics, and rhythm - is a constant in our lives. Discover how music has evolved with human society, accompanying our leisure, religious rituals, and popular festivities. Watch its development during prehistory and before musical notation, when melodies were memorized or improvised. Enjoy galleries of historical instruments such as dulcimers, shawms, psalteries, and tabor pipes. The universal language of music is expressed in an astonishing number of styles today, and Music presents its evolution around the globe, including the classical European tradition of JS Bach, the passionate sounds of Spain's flamenco, and the sonic power of electronica and heavy rock. With spectacular timelines of key events and profiles of musicians from Amadeus Mozart to David Bowie, Music is an unrivaled and comprehensive reference. Whether you are into the Blues, Brahms, or Bhangra, it is essential reading and guaranteed to hit the right note.