Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia

Product Information

I'm tempted to say that this is a great book because like Russian art it has a soul, but that sounds presumptuous since I've not an expert on any Russian art and I've never been to Russia. Nabokov, Stravinskij, Bunin, ale i tí, čo zostali doma a snažili sa to ustáť, už spomínaná Achmatovová, Pasternak, Gorkij, ktorý sa po krátkej zahraničnej anabáze vrátil, lebo ako mnohí iní nevydržal vonku. I reference encouragement to immerse oneself into Russian culture because, for me, that is the second key lesson I took from this book, and have since discovered books that have shaped my current view on life and the world as a whole.

I would definitely recommend this book to any anglophone, particularly those living in the core anglosphere, interested in a general history of Russian culture. Figes aligns himself with the school of thought that this was not a wholly negative legacy, fostering political authority and economic well-being.

Natasha's Dance is hefty, at some 580 pages, but some of the most fluid and engaging nonfiction I've read. For the period from roughly 1760 to 1960 it contains histories of Russian literature, painting, ballet and classical music. All in all, this is a must-read for anyone who's dipped into Russian literature or art and wondered what it took for one country to produce the likes of "War and Peace," "Crime and Punishment," "The Battleship Potemkin," "The Rites of Spring," and Russian nesting dolls. He is at this best, of course, talking about the 18th and 19th centuries, which duly take up 2/3 of the book. Je hanbou krajiny, že najväčšie piliere svojej kultúry pravidelne vystavuje enormnému tlaku bezohľadne valiacich sa dejín.

Orlando Figes’ Natasha’s Dance offers an immersive, panoramic overview of Russian history and culture. Bu bölüm aslında çok daha ilgi çekici bir akımla alakalı oldukça bilgilendirici olduğu için kitap içerisindeki en sevdiğim bölüm oldu diyebilirim. It was awarded the prestigious Przeglad Wschodni Award for the best foreign book on East European history in Poland in 2009. The 19th Century high culture of Count Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky have captured worldwide imagination ever since, with their colourful characters of aristocrats, soldiers, prostitutes, drunks and down and outs, this combined with grand ideas of war, society and the individual make timeless classics.Intrigante, divertente, scritto magnificamente, ricco di aneddoti interessanti e commoventi, questo saggio, che si legge come un romanzo, è stato un compagno di viaggio impagabile.

Bu bölüm Ruslar’ın Ortodoksluğa geçiş hikayesinin ayrıntılı bir şekilde anlatıldığı bir bölüm olmuş.

Petersburg; the Russian Russia of Moscow; the peasant culture and the inheritance from Genghiz Khan. Rejim karşıtı bu yazarları savunayım derken Thomas Mann gibi yazarlara rejime destek verdiği için inceden dokundurmayım anlayışı ise oldukça sırıtıyor.

From the building of St Petersburg and the European looking court of Peter the Great and the 18th Century aristocracy, to the aftermath of the Napoleonic invasion of 1812. His last book, Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia was published to great acclaim in 2002 and was shortlisted for the BBC FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize. He is the author of Peasant Russia, Civil War, A People's Tragedy, Natasha's Dance, The Whisperers and Just Send Me Word. Rusların Ortodokslukla bağının oluşması ile ilgili şu anekdot zaten bölümün geri kalanının değerini gözümde düşürdü diyebilirim.In spite of this, I have read in other reviews that Figes has basic facts wrong, especially around the Russian language itself, which is a shame and takes away from the overall achievement of the book. I particularly enjoy reading about the Soviet Union and began to trace history back from the revolution with Bunin's Cursed days and Bulgakov's White Guard. Josef Stalin’s favourite novel was The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov, an author who’s published works mostly weren’t published until after his death!