Contemporary Russian Literature

  • 4.8
Approx. 37 hours to complete
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Course Summary

Explore the world of contemporary Russian literature, from post-Soviet times to present day, in this course. Delve into the works of various authors and gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and social context in which they were written.

Key Learning Points

  • Gain an understanding of contemporary Russian literature and its historical context
  • Explore the works of various authors and analyze their themes and motifs
  • Develop critical reading and writing skills through written assignments and discussions

Related Topics for further study


Learning Outcomes

  • Gain a deeper understanding of contemporary Russian literature and its cultural context
  • Develop critical reading and writing skills through written assignments and discussions
  • Analyze the themes and motifs present in the works of various contemporary Russian authors

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

  • Basic understanding of Russian language and literature
  • Access to course materials and resources

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

  • Online
  • Self-paced
  • Video lectures
  • Written assignments
  • Discussion forums

Similar Courses

  • The Golden Age of Russian Literature
  • Russian History and Culture

Related Education Paths


Notable People in This Field

  • Elif Batuman
  • Keith Gessen

Related Books

Description

We are going to talk about Contemporary literature specifically, but it doesn’t include only the literature of the most recent years. It is technically a course on the history of literature, but the history starting from the late Soviet period up until today. The goal is to show you the best writers’ names, so that you may remember them and read their works after the end of this course. The course will show you the tendencies that were developing in Russian literature in last 25 years, and finally to come to it’s present state, in this way forming a journey across the vast sea that is called Russian Literature. Good luck!

Outline

  • The Prehistory of Contemporary Literature
  • Introduction
  • "The Question of the Boundaries of the Contemporary Literature"
  • "Unofficial Literature of the Late USSR and its Different Types"
  • "Mass Literature in the Soviet Era"
  • "The Phenomenon of Russian “Thick” Literary Journal"
  • "Literature in the Era of Perestroika"
  • "The Appearance and Development of Pop Literature"
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  • The Origins of Contemporary Russian Literature
  • "Writers Ahead of Their Time. Venedikt Erofeev. The Myth about “Venichka”"
  • "Biography of Venedikt Erofeev"
  • "Venedikt Erofeev’s Poem "Moscow to the End of the Line""
  • "The Biography and Autobiographical Legend of Sasha Sokolov"
  • "Sasha Sokolov’s Novel "A School for Fools""
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  • The Birth of Russian Postmodernism
  • "Introduction"
  • "Postmodernism as Interpreted by Philosophers and Critics"
  • "Conceptualism and the Deconstruction of Socialist Realism"
  • "Conceptualism in Prose. Vladimir Sorokin. From The Norm to The Novel"
  • "The Deconstruction of Various Genres and Styles in the Late Works of Vladimir Sorokin"
  • "Vladimir Sorokin’s Dystopias of the 2000s"
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  • Development of Postmodernist Fiction. Victor Pelevin
  • "The Role and Image of Victor Pelevin in the Literature of 1990–2000s. The Lack of Biography"
  • "The Novel "Omon Ra" by Victor Pelevin"
  • "Early Short Stories and Novellas by Victor Pelevin"
  • "The Novel "Generation P" (Babylon; Homo Zapiens) by Victor Pelevin"
  • "Later Works by Victor Pelevin"
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  • Between Postmodern, Liberal and Pop Literatures. Boris Akunin
  • "Introduction. Biography of Boris Akunin"
  • "The Adventures of Erast Fandorin"
  • ""The Winter Queen" by Boris Akunin"
  • "The Adventures of the Master" and "Sister Pelagia" series by Boris Akunin"
  • "The History of the Russian State" and "The Family Album" series by Boris Akunin"
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  • Between Postmodernism and “Human” Literature: Tatiana Tolstaya and Mikhail Shishkin
  • "Tatiana Tolstaya: Biography and Creative Work"
  • "Early Short Stories by Tatiana Tolstaya"
  • "Tatiana Tolstaya’s "The Slynx""
  • "Life and Works of Mikhail Shishkin. The Calligraphy Lesson Story"
  • "Mikhail Shishkin’s Novels"
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  • Literary Situation of 2000s
  • "Main Trends in Russian Literature of 2000s"
  • "The Concepts of "Utopia" and "Dystopia""
  • "Boom of Dystopias in mid-2000s"
  • "Political and Alarmist Dystopias"
  • "Imperial Dystopias"
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  • The New Realism of 2000s
  • "Waiting for Realism"
  • "Biography and Works of Roman Senchin"
  • "Biography and Works of Zakhar Prilepin"
  • "The Novel "Pathologies" by Zakhar Prilepin"
  • "The Novel "Sankya" by Zakhar Prilepin"
  • "The Novel "Abode" by Zakhar Prilepin"
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  • Current Literature. New Names and Trends, part 1
  • "History and Fiction: Dmitry Bykov’s Works"
  • "History through the Eyes of a Child: "Christened With Crosses" by Edouard Kochergin"
  • "History through the Eyes of Women: "The Women of Lazarus" by Marina Stepnova"
  • "History through the Eyes of Women: "Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes" by Guzel Yakhina"
  • "Autobiographical Stories: "People in Naked" by Andrei Astvatsaturov"
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  • Current Literature. New Names and Trends, part 2
  • "Alexey Ivanov’s Life and Works"
  • "The Novel "Tobol" by Alexey Ivanov"
  • "3 History and Mythology through the Eyes of a Scholar: Evgeny Vodolazkin"
  • "Neo-Mythological Prose of 2000–2010s"
  • "Alexey Salnikov: Returning to Postmodernism through Realism"
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Summary of User Reviews

This course on contemporary Russian literature has received positive reviews from users. Many users appreciated its in-depth analysis of the works of renowned Russian authors. However, some users found the course content to be too challenging for beginners.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

in-depth analysis of renowned Russian authors

Pros from User Reviews

  • Comprehensive coverage of contemporary Russian literature
  • Engaging and knowledgeable instructors
  • Fascinating insights into the cultural and political context of the works
  • Excellent resources and reading materials provided

Cons from User Reviews

  • Challenging for beginners and those unfamiliar with Russian literature
  • Some users found the pace of the course to be too slow
  • Technical issues with the platform and video lectures
  • Limited interaction with instructors and fellow students

Keywords

English
Available now
Approx. 37 hours to complete
Andrei Stepanov
Saint Petersburg State University
Coursera

Instructor

Andrei Stepanov

  • 4.8 Raiting

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