The Magic of St. Petersburg

Peter the Great's spectacular imperial city, St. Petersburg, is Russia's cultural capital, a work of art that has captivated three centuries of Russian writiers. Among the themes of these writers - Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Akhmatova, Nabokov, and Joseph Brodsky - are questions fundamental to Russians' ongoing search to define themselves vis-a-vis Western culture. Is St. Petersburg European, or is it Russian? In this slide-illustrated lecture, you will witness the rich artistic and architectural tradition of St. Petersburg while hearing excerpts from some of the greatest Russian writers.