Natashas Dance A Cultural History of Russia - Orlando Figes
Category: History
Tags: History, Literature
History on a grand scale - an enchanting masterpiece that explores the making of one of the worlds most vibrant civilizations., A Peoples Tragedy, wrote Eric Hobsbawm, did more to help us understand the Russian Revolution than any other book I know., Now, in Natashas Dance, internationally renowned historian Orlando Figes does the same for Russian culture, summoning the myriad elements that formed a nation and held it together., Beginning in the 18th century with the building of St. Petersburg - a window on the West - and culminating with the challenges posed to Russian identity by the Soviet regime, Figes examines how writers, artists and musicians grappled with the idea of Russia itself - its character, spiritual essence and destiny., He skillfully interweaves the great works - by Dostoevsky, Stravinsky, and Chagall - with folk embroidery, peasant songs, religious icons and all the customs of daily life, from food and drink to bathing habits to beliefs about the spirit world., Figes
