Russian Literature

By Alexa Bouquet

EXPANDING RUSSIAN CULTURE

Russia’s literary history goes back to the 10th centuryAlexander Pushkin started the Golden Age of Russian PoetryPushkin was thought of as the founder of Modern Russian literature and referred to as the “RussianShakespeare”Alexander Pushkin was the first to use vernacular speech Pushkin also wrote historical films such as “His Marie”Alexander Pushkin was born in Moscow, Russia At the age of 15 he publishes his first poem Pushkin was sent into exile in southern Russia after clashing with the government in the early 1820’s During this time is when he wrote, “Borus Godunov”, which was his most famous play Pushkin died in 1837 In 1937 the town of Tsarskow Selo was renamed to honor Alexander Pushkin

Many poets continued into the 19th centuryA very powerful figure of this time was Fyodor DostoyevskyDostoyevsky was not only a novelist but a philosopher as wellFyodor Dostoyevsky’s work explored human psychologyMany people thought of him as the creator of 20th century existentialism Fyodor started writing his own work in 1844after leaving the armyOn April 23rd, 1849 Dostoyevsky was incarceratedfor being part of the Petrashevsky CircleThe Petrashevsky Circle was a “Russian literary Discussion group of progressive-minded commoner Intellectuals in St. PetersburgOn November 16th, 1849 Fyodor Dostoyevsky was sentenced to deathAfter physical torture his sentence was changed To four years exileFyodor’s experience in the army and prison completely changed his political and religious views

By the 1880’s literature had started to changeThe main genres became poetry and short fictionThis period of time was known as the Silver Age ofRussian PoetryBetween the years of 1893 and 1914 symbolism dominated realismValery Bryusov was one of the leading writers of thisage Bryusov was born on December 13, 1873His career took off in the early 1890’sDuring this time he was a student at Moscow StateUniversity By the 1910’s many people looked at Bryusov’s Work as cold and strained This resulted in a declining reputation After the Russian Revolution many of his fellowSymbolists fled Russia Velery Bryusov remained in Russia until his death Which occurred in 1924

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia#Literature_and_philosophy

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pushkin

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoevsky

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valery_Bryusov

SOURCES