Writers & Contemporary Russia

The objective of this course is to analyze the contemporary political situation in its relation to literature and culture as a whole. We will examine texts by authors who have been criticized by the authorities or directly classified as “foreign agents” (B. Akunin, D. Bykov, L. Ulitskaya, V. Pelevin, V Sorokin, and others). Students will discuss current trends in Russian politics, highly significant events of cultural life (e.g., bans on the sale of books and screening of films), and the rise of patriotic education and formation of ideology (e.g., in new history textbooks). Counts as a course in literature.