Prague and St. Petersburg: A Tale of Two Cities

An exploration of the mythopoetic universe of Prague and Petersburg through literature and film. Both - one, ancient, the other "modern" - served at one point of the historical continuum as capitols of multinational empires (Holy Roman and Russian), yet also as loci of national identity, both factors thus contributing to their respective enigmatic states. The course will attempt to identify these enigmas and discuss their possible futures in the global polity and culture. Enrollment limited to 20.