Texts/films about nostalgia for Soviet Union?

[Stefani, Sara Marie]

Pelevin's "Generation P"/"Homo Zapiens" in English - students seem to really enjoy it, and it is set in those first years of the post-Soviet period.



I recently watched Karen Shakhnazarov's film "The Vanished Empire," which I did not like at all - I found it boring and banal. But it does treat the 1970s and perhaps with a certain nostalgia? The film "Stilyagi"/"Hipsters" is wonderful - much more colorful, fun, and poignant - but as many people on this list have noted, it is not widely available in US release with English subtitles. I saw it recently at a screening on our campus, so I have hopes that this means that it will be released more widely soon.



If you are interested in a more cynical approach, any visual art from the Sots Art vein would work. Komar and Melamid of course, but also Alexander Kosolapov.



I recently purchased what I think is the newest work by Vladimir Voinovich called "Monumental Propaganda." I haven't read it yet, so I can't vouch for it, but the description of it seems to match what you're interested in. Here is a link to it on Amazon:



http://www.amazon.com/Monumental-Propaganda-Vladimir-Voinovich/dp/1585678112/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335709582&sr=1-1



And of course there is Svetlana Boym's book on nostalgia.



Hope this helps,

sms





________________________________
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] on behalf of Sarah Bishop [sbishop at WILLAMETTE.EDU]
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 9:57 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] Texts/films about nostalgia for Soviet Union?

Dear colleagues,
Next fall I'll be teaching a freshman seminar on post-Soviet Russian culture and identity.  I am looking for suggestions on recent literary texts or films (available in English translation/with English subtitles) that deal with nostalgia for the Soviet Union--wittingly or not.  Essay suggestions are also welcome.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts,
Sarah

Sbishop at willamette.edu<mailto:Sbishop at willamette.edu>



--
Sarah Clovis Bishop
Assistant Professor of Russian
Willamette University

sbishop at willamette.edu<mailto:sbishop at willamette.edu>
503 370 6889

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