Understanding Russia
A Cultural History
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Understanding Russia
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Narrated by:
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Lynne Ann Hartnett
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Written by:
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Lynne Ann Hartnett
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The Great Courses
About this listen
From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements.
The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia. Blending history with cultural studies, they are designed to bring you closer than ever before to the Russian people - not just the authoritarian rulers like Peter the Great, the Romanovs, and Stalin but the everyday men and women who sought their own meaning in the poetry of Pushkin, the comfort of early folk tales, the faith of medieval iconography, the avant-garde films of Eisenstein, and more.
You’ll discover surprising insights into centuries of cultural history, including peasant superstitions, such as avoiding whistling indoors, and the culture of queuing for goods and services that defined everyday life for ordinary Soviets. You’ll also spend time in the company of novelists, painters, poets, filmmakers, impresarios, composers, revolutionaries, and intellectuals who shaped Russia in myriad ways, including The Five, a group of composers who created a distinctly national sound based in part on Russian folk music; and Sergei Eisenstein, the filmmaker whose Battleship Potemkin revolutionized the language of cinema.
In a time when the eyes of the Western world are constantly drawn to Russia, it’s amazing how little we really know about its culture. These lectures will help you finally understand that complex, thrilling, and undeniably fascinating spirit.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLCWhat listeners say about Understanding Russia
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-08-18
Great overview of Russian history
Unfortunately this professor miss quotes Stalin’s line “writers are engineers of the human soul”, in chapter 19 she says artists are engineers of the soul
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-07-20
Pretty Much Exactly What I Was Looking For
After the annexing of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine (I'm writing this in 2022), I became interested in learning about the "Russian Identity" that Vladimir Putin is preoccupied with. This course showed up on my "Recommended Reads" list.. and was a 'Plus' selection (included with my Audible subscription).. so I took a chance.
I am glad that I did.
Villanova professor Lynna Anne Hartnett puts together an excellent series of lectures finding a nice balance between political/military/historical figures & events (discussing Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, the Romanovs, Lenin, the Revolution, etc.), and cultural/religious/artistic uniquities (highlighting iconic figures like Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, and so on..)
The premises are well-written, clearly-presented, and convincing - Hartnett obviously understands what makes Russia "Russia".
She also does a genuinely commendable job presenting the information: reading with fine diction, great timbre & cadence, and an enthusiastic tone that ensures maintained interest in her listeners (this subject matter could easily be boring.. but isn't). Audible Originals was wise to get Hartnett to read her own material.
Less fortunately, Harnett's straightforward "reading" style makes it quite clear at times that she's essentially working from a script - there is no "off-the-cuff" feel of authenticity in this course (at no point did I feel like I was in a darkened lecture theatre somewhere - as is often the case with these audiocourses).
She also occasionally stumbles over her words
..but the narration is generally quite professional.
Altogether, I rate this product 9 stars out of 10. I certainly felt like I got a creditable impression of what drives Russian patriotism - it's a fascinating country. I have listened to a number of 'Great Courses' productions.. and this is one of the better ones. Even were Audible to demand a Credit, it would be worth it to those with an interest.
[NOTE: The appended PDF is likewise excellent - similar to the notes that come with the course syllabus on day one in a University History Class]
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A
- 2023-11-20
Overall enjoyable and informative
This was a great overview of Russia's history I fully recommend it for anyone who would like a primer.
I wish information on the Soviet schools and boarding schools were covered rather than as a passing note as they had a massive impact on the retention cultural heritages and languages (non-Russian.)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Paul (Church) Spate
- 2022-06-05
I liked it.
Good overview. She is a good author. Captures the overall essence of Russian history. Good as a basic primer.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ncl
- 2023-07-04
Excellent course
I learnt stuff I wasn’t aware of, Very well presented and well paced, thank you Professor Hartnett!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- pdunning
- 2021-06-07
Good content, poor delivery
I don’t know if I can finish listening to this. I’m interested in the material but I find the presenter’s sing-song delivery very difficult to listen to.
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1 person found this helpful