Literature and authorities

elective courses

To arouse students' interest to literarature.

The classes consist of analyzing the selected literary works and problems of the 19th and the first half of 20th century from the perspective of authorities in Russia and USSR. The purpose of the classes is to present in a chronological and problematical order the relations among leaders of Russian/ USSR and writers .

1. An introduction. The position of writer in Russia in the 19th century. The importance of literature in the 19th century.

2. Nicholas I and literature. Decembrists. Tsar as Alexander Pushkin’s censor.

3. Literature in the service of authorities. From a rebel to a supporter: Pyotr Vyazemsky, Faddey Bulgarin. Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol?

4. A criticism of tsarism. Nikolai Gogol. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin.

5. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. An exile. Demons from the point of view of a historian.

6. Leo Tolstoy and the Tolstoyan movement.

7. Writers and World War I. Propaganda and description. Mikhail Sholokhov.

8. A revolution and literature. Vladimir Mayakovsky.

9. Maxim Gorky.

10. Literature and creation of reality.

11. Stalin as a reader and a “friend" of writers.

12. The writers’ attitude to Russian authorities in the 20th – 30th of 20th century: Boris Pasternak, Mikhail Bulgakov, Mikhail Zoshchenko.

13. In the service of the Soviets.

14. The protest against the Soviet Union. Repressions and writers’ death.

15. Writers in the camps.

W. Woroszylski, Kto zabił Puszkina, Warszawa 1991

B. Sarnow, Stalin i pisateli, t. 1-4, Moskwa 2008-09

A. Semczuk, Lew Tołstoj, Warszawa 1981

P. Basinskij, Strasti po Maksimu, Moskwa 2009

K. Schlögel, Terror i marzenie. Moskwa 1937, tłum. I. Drozdowska-Broering, Poznań 2012

F. Westerman, Inżynierowie dusz, tłum. S. Paszkiet, Warszawa 2007.

M. Lemke, Nikołajewskije żandarmy i litieratura 1826-1855, Sankt-Petersburg 1908

Russkij konserwatizm XIX stolietia, red. W. Grosuł, Moskwa 2000.

Knowledge:

− The student has well-organized detailed knowledge about the attitude of Russian authorities to Russian literature in the 19th and the first half of 20th century (periods, trends, evolution),

− The student knows the characterized literary works, as well as works of individual writers; problems; literary genres, historical-literary background of the origin of chosen works,

− The student knows the contents of these readings, which were particularly important for the tsarist regime and the leaders of the USSR

− The student knows the achievements of selected Polish, Russian and West European researchers of Russian literature involved in this subject, student refers to the their basic works and opinions.

− The student knows the problems that opposition writers wrestled with

− The student has knowledge about the status of writers

Skills:

− The student can characterize in details relations between Russian authorities and writers in different periods,

− The student explains, why Russian authorities cared about loyal writers

− The student characterizes literary works representative of the writers loyal to authorities and the oppositionists, and also puts them into a larger historical, cultural and literary context.

− The student uses basic literature and historical terminology.

− The student can seek information about the characterized questions from various sources.

− The student is able to charaterize the genezis and value of discussed issues.

− The student possesses detailed research abilities in the analysis and interpretation of the literary works.

− The student recognizes selected quotes from the literary works of the first half of the 19th century.

− The student has an ability to work systematically.

Social competences:

− The student is aware of the role and importance of writing to Russian authorities.

− The student is aware of the role of literature in the history of Russian state.

− The student feels obligated to develop his own reading interests and is aware of his responsibility for the reading culture.

− The student is aware of the role of literature in the management of state

Test

Questions: 4

Max points: 12 (4x3)

Points and marks:

8 – 9 (dst)

9 – 10 – 3,5 (dst+)

10 – 12 – 4,0 (db)

13-14 – 4,5 (db+)

14-15 – 5,0 (bdb)

5! - Is able to faultlessy answer all questions (max points: 15), refers to knowledge not only from the teaching programme (points: 16).

The student has the right to 2 unexcused absences, each subsequent one requires justification. The lecturer decides on the recognition of absence.

Exceeding excused and unexcused absences by 50% of classes may be grounds to fail the course. The conditions for passing the course on the resit exam are the same as on the ordinary of exam.

If it is not possible to conduct classroom classes, classes will be conducted using distance communication tools, most likely Google Classroom and others recommended by the University of Warsaw.

not applicable