The 19th century was a turning point in the political, economic, and social life of the Russian Empire, and most of the changes were expressed in the prolific literature of the period. The abolition of serfdom and the gradual shift to capitalism engaged Russian intellectuals, who split into two extremist camps: supporters of the Western liberal-democratic ideas, and those who defended the original Russian culture (Slavophiles) and sought to preserve authentic Slavic culture considering Western influence a symbol of the rise of social deterioration. Gradually the intellectual discussions and differences of opinion, which peaked in mid 19th  century, found their way into literary writing.

The first literary hero Yevgeny Onegin, was presented as a liberal innovator eager for human progress in the rhyming novel of the same name, written by Alexander Pushkin. In contrast, Nikolai Gogol described the European capitalist spirit as a dangerous threat to Czarist Russia. Fyodor Dostoyevsky believed that Western democratic-liberal theory would not be a positive influence and that the capitalist system would not serve Russian economy well.

Lev Tolstoy wrote to economic thinkers in quest of a means to fairly distribute material wealth. Tolstoy was well versed in the positions of Henry George, the American political economist, journalist, and philosopher, and often quoted the economist’s Progress and Poverty, the first popular economics text and one of the most widely printed books ever written, in his own articles and private letters.

Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard dramatizes the socio-economic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the decline of the power of the aristocracy. The beginning of the age of the bourgeoisie and of materialism are described with outstanding artistry.

Writers who lived and worked in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century played a great role in intellectual discussions regarding the political and economic changes in the Russian Empire. Through their rich and diverse writings, they expressed their opinions and greatly influenced public opinion.

The goal of this course is to track the structural socio-economic changes in Russian society through the literary prism, as well as to view how these changes affected a society that had only recently eradicated feudalism. The course covers works by Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy, and Anton Chekhov.