Iskander and Stalin

Wed Jan 3 16:06:47 UTC 2007

At 12:29 AM 01/03/2007, you wrote:

If not already mentioned-Voinovich's Circle of friends-short stroy


>Dear Robert,
>
>Here is the list of writings about Stalin which comes to my mind right now.
>1.Island Crimea by Aksyonov.It is the satirical essay written by Luchnikov
>to the anniversary of Stalin.
>2.Generations of Winter by the same Vasily Palich.The chapter in the 2nd 
>volume where is depicted the meeting of Zhukov with members of Politbyuro 
>on the platform of Subway station at the beginning of the Great Patriotic 
>War.+ Some other episodes in the same volume  where we can meet Our Chief 
>and Teacher accompanied by his satanic retinue.
>3.The Poem about Stalin by Galich(if it is available in translation).
>
>4.The Pretender  on the Throne by Voinovich .The chapter where Stalin and 
>Hitler simultaneously contemplate about Chonkin as count Golitsin  and the 
>leader of undeground anti-Soviet  resistance.
>5. Among Iskanders stories I remember the one about fishing in the 
>mountain river.
>6.I have never read Bulgakovs Batum,but  I have read some unexpected 
>interpretations of this play written by critic Smelyansky .
>
>If I were you, Robert ,I would also consider some small poems, not 
>songs,of Okudzhava  about Stalin as well as Bulats autobiography 
>Uprazdnenniy Teatr .
>Stalin was responsible was the death of Shalva Okudzava,however in the 
>book we can find the writers opinions why his parents were responsible for 
>Stalinizm.
>If I were you I would strongly recommend to my students to read The Great 
>Terror by Conquest.The Legend of Grand Inquisitor by Dostoevsky as well as 
>the works of Orwell are also might be considered as a required reading.
>I also think that the collection of poetry  such as Rodnomu Stalinu  would 
>entertain your students and inspire them to think  why for example 
>Akmatova or young Tvardovsky could write such apologetic poetry.Let s 
>also not firget about Mandelshtams anti-Stalin epigram and Mandelashtams 
>pro- stalin poetry.
>The poetry of the Magnificent Three (Voznesensky, Evtushenko, and probably 
>Rozhdestvensky)would also be considered if they are available in translation.
>
>The dozens of volumes of pseudo-historian  Georgy Suvorov (I doubt whether 
>they have been translated or not) convince the reader  how really great 
>Stalin was and how great purge  was absolutely necessary for the sake the 
>victory in the War(??!!).However I believe that the works of  this 
>historian   and  hypnotist are far from the area of the special field of 
>your interest.
>Sorry for the chaos in my letter. The topic is very important, but it is 
>too late to be precise at the moment.
>
>
>
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Vladimir Shatsev
>
>Language and Drama Teacher
>
>Russian House Community Centre www.russianhouse.ca
>
>Phone.: 416-236-5563
>Cell : 416-333-1840
>
>Email: vladimir.shatsev at russianhouse.ca
>
>
>
>
>>From: Robert Chandler <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
>>Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
>><SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
>>To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>>Subject: [SEELANGS] Iskander and Stalin
>>Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 06:01:35 +0000
>>
>>Dear all,
>>
>>Im teaching a course for the first time on post-Stalin literature.  SANDRO
>>OF CHEGEM will be a set text.  Iskanders portraits of Stalin and his
>>entourage are memorable.  In case any students want to make comparisons,
>>what other good portraits of these people are there in Russian literature?
>>Im not well read in this period and I know only of a chapter in THE FIRST
>>CIRCLE, a chapter in LIFE AND FATE, and a section of Grossmans wonderful
>>story Mama.
>>
>>And while Im about it, does this seem like a good choice of extracts from
>>SANDRO?  Any other chapter anyone would esp. recommend?
>>Sandro of Chegem (ÑÀÍÄÐÎ ÈÇ ×ÅÃÅÌÀ)
>>Gamblers (ÈÃÐÎÊÈ)
>>Belshazzar's Feasts (ÏÈÐÛ ÁÀËÒÀÑÀÐÀ)
>>Old Khabag's Mule (ÐÀÑÑÊÀÇ ÌÓËÀ ÑÒÀÐÎÃÎ ÕÀÁÓÃÀ )
>>
>>Best wishes to all of you for 2007!
>>
>>Robert
>>
>>
>>
>>
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