Understanding Moscow through Literature, History, and Film
The Moscow Book Festival, held on Red Square, 2021
17 May 2024
Fyodor Tyutchev once said that “Russia cannot be known by the mind” – but perhaps Moscow can be known through literature and historical surveys? A conversation on the popular listserve SEELANGS led to many experts volunteering some of their favorite works about the city of Moscow. This curated selection encompasses a vast array of resources, including novels, poems, historical studies, and films, offering a multifaceted exploration of the city across time.
Taleen Voskuni’s Lavash at First Sight (2024) is a funny and lighthearted sapphic romance about two Armenian-American women roped into promoting their respective Armenian food…
The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones is an expertly woven folk horror story that grapples…
Hard by a Great Forest, by Leo Vardiashvili, is a wonderful, horrible book. The book is wonderful in that it presents believable, likeable characters who…
Audrey, Altstadt. The Politics of Culture in Soviet Azerbaijan, 1920-1940. Routledge, London and New York, 2016. 234pp, $65pb. ISBN 9781138639003. “We are undertaking the…
Josh has been with SRAS since 2003. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. He lived in Moscow from 2003-2022, where he ran Moscow operations for SRAS. At SRAS, Josh still assists in program development and leads our internship programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.
The City in Late Imperial Russia
Films
Films
