St. Petersburg as Russian Cultural Icon

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

From its inception in 1703 on the banks of the Neva River, St. Petersburg has embodied Russia's search for a national identity. Founded by Peter the Great as Russia's "Window on the West," it has been championed by those who wished to ally Russia more closely with Western Europe and vilified by those who viewed Western influence as undermining native Russian values. From the early nineteenth century on, numerous writers and artists have focused explicitly on the dual nature of the city. In this course, we will discuss some of the key works in this tradition with the goal of assessing Russia's uneasy relationship with the West and the symbolic importance of St. Petersburg within Russian culture. Prerequisite: RU 40102 or permission of the instructor.