The book offers a pioneering account of a wide range of cultural forms in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. It also offers a distinctive emphasis on the complex processes underlying the reception of culture. A vital resource for university courses on Russian culture, it will be essential reading for all with an interest in the subject.

Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia, Russia is a multi-ethnic empire with a huge territory. In this Very Short Introduction, Geoffrey Hosking discusses all aspects of Russian history, from the struggle by the state to control society, Russia's relationship with the West/Europe, the Soviet experience, and the post-Soviet era.

Explores the place and importance of literature in Russian culture. How and when did a Russian national literature come into being? What shaped its creation? How have the Russians regarded their literary language? This book uses the figure of Pushkin, 'the Russian Shakespeare', as an example.

This fully updated new edition of Sheila Fitzpatrick's classic short history of the Russian Revolution takes into account the new evidence that has come to light since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, incorporating material that was previously inaccessible not only to Western but also to Soviet historians

Provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Russia between 1917 and 1936. This very short introduction examines the impact of the revolution on society as a whole - on different classes, ethnic groups, the army, men and women, and youth.

Gaskell's depiction of a fallen woman as her heroine shocked contemporary readers. Ruth is seduced and heartlessly abandoned but finds shelter and love with her illegitimate child until a twist of fate brings her past back to haunt her. This new edition explores the novel's radicalism and cultural influence.

This edition presents not only familiar pieces like Rasselas, "The Vanity of Human Wishes," the Prefaces to Shakespeare and the Dictionary, many Rambler and Idler essays, and biographical and critical works, but also a substantial sampling of lesserknown prose, poetry, letters, and journals.