Russian Literary Scandals and Provocations: #thelong19thc

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

The rich and vibrant intellectual life of nineteenth-century Russia was punctuated by scandals--provocative publications and shocking or subversive incidents that burst through the bounds of convention and effectively recalibrated public discourses. This panel explores three examples of such disruptions: the publication of Petr Chaadaev's “Philosophical Letter,” Mikhail Lermontov’s performative salon reading of "Shtoss," and the scandal surrounding the revolutionary activities of Sergei Nechaev. The papers probe the mechanisms underlying these scandalous incidents and examine how the actors involved played against and through standards of acceptable discourse to provoke moments of intellectual and ideological rupture.

Sub Unit

• Literature: Russian and Eurasian

Chair

• Victoria S. Frede, UC Berkeley

Papers

• Why Did Nadezhdin Publish Chaadaev?: Interests Versus Ideas in the Literary Politics of the 1830s - Nathaniel Knight, Seton Hall U

• Literary Appeal as Provocation: The Case of Lermontov's 'Shtoss' - David Powelstock, Brandeis U

• Towards a Rehabilitation of Sergei Nechaev: Authenticity and Self-Narration in the Russian Revolutionary Tradition - Nicholas Bujalski, Oberlin College

Discussant

• Olga Y. Maiorova, U of Michigan

Session Manager

• Alicia Baca, Ohio State U