RUSSIAN LITERATURE 3

The course falls into the learning area "Literatures and cultures" and is entitled “Aspects and problems of Russian culture in the first half of XX century". It will involve some aspects of the literary civilisation and of the intellectual debate in XX century Russia up to Stalin's death, outlining an essential an overall picture of the evolution of Russian culture in that time.

In accordance with the educational objectives of the degree course, the students will have to gain: the ability to situate a literary object, regarding the first 50 years of the XX century, in its own context; the ability to read and translate a literary text studied with the lecturer and to comment on it in an appropriate language; the ability to communicate the specificities of the content and of the historic and literary context of texts that belong to the Russian cultural tradition by referring to adequate bibliographical sources.

To know the historic and cultural evolution of Russia from the origins to the Tsardom of Alexander II (as illustrated in the courses of Russian literature 1 and 2). A written comprehension of Russian language at A2/B1 level is required.

The lessons will be devoted in particular to the close reading of primary texts (in Italian and in Russian, with translation in the classroom by the Lecturer); through the analysis of some excerpts, we will focus on: the place occupied by the works in the literary evolution of the time; the references to the social and cultural questions.
Moreover, the program involves notions of the following topics: Russian literature before the revolution (mentions to the literary movements of Symbolism, Akmeism, Futurism) and literary criticism (mentions to Formalism); the intellectual life after the revolution: the Twenties; the Thirties and the Socialist realism; Russian emigration.

For an bibliography of the course in English language, please contact the Lecturer.

Oral test in Italian. The students will have to demonstrate that: they have read the PRIMARY TEXTS in-depth and they can determine the main features, also starting from a personal analysis of excerpts from the works (40%); they know the main events of the biography and of the literary path of the 4 authors of the primary texts in prose, as well as the basic aspects of other authors that are relevant for the literature of the time in view (20%: preparation on the SECONDARY TEXTS, “A” and in the critical apparatus of PRIMARY TEXTS); they have a clear, essential picture of the historic and literary evolution of the period between the beginning of the Tsardom of Nicholas II (1894) and the death of Stalin (20%: preparation on SECONDARY TEXTS, “A”; non-attending students are required to prepare also SECONDARY TEXTS, “C”); they know how to present the contents of the three selected critical essays in their own words (20%: preparation on SECONDARY TEXTS, “B”).

Lectures. Students are invited to take active part in the discussion of the texts in prose, which they have to read before the beginning of the course.

Italian

Students should check the Moodle page of the course (the link will be communicated soon) at least before every lesson. There they will find handouts for the following lesson which need to be print or read in classroom on PC/tablets.

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