Hello Again From Gary;
Some posts are pure drudgery to write but I write them because they NEED to be written, at least in my opinion. I do truly try to put forth helpful information about a mysterious subject, Russian Brides. And it’s not always easy to do.
But sometimes the subject lends itself to topics that to me are fun. Such is the case today as I write about Russian culture and offer some great tips on how to learn more about this difficult to understand culture; and this is a fun topic for me because I love to read, and I suggest that to learn more about Russian culture, read the works of Russian authors.
Why do this?
Well there are at least a couple of reasons. In the first place, and most importantly, if you are married to or want to marry a Russian woman, it’s critical that you extend yourself to understanding as much as possible about the culture she was raised in. Through this you’ll be better equipped to understand and appreciate her. Your Russian woman may at times do or say things that are seemingly incomprehensible. Sure, I know. Sometimes women are like this just because they are women. But sometimes what’s happening is a cultural “thing.” So if you know something about her culture, it starts to make sense and you’ll be able to grasp the wisdom of her behavior’s source.
And secondly, the authors I’m going to suggest to you have written some of the finest literature ever produced. I’m not a literary critic but I’d be willing to bet that several of the works I list below would have received Pulitzer prizes had they been published in the modern era instead of over 100 years ago when there was no Pulitzer prize. So this is a journey of exploring some of mankind’s finest literary creations. ENJOY!
Following is a list of books to read that will give you some insight into Russian culture. But first, a warning: these are not “easy reads.” They will require your concentration and sometimes confuse you, particularly when it comes to characters’ names. I wrote a post about Russian names called http://russianbridefacts.com/blog/2011/07/20/russian-womens-names/. Check it out to be better understand what reading these books entails.
And these books abound with plots within plots and questions within mysteries (always masterfully woven around a common thread). And keep in mind that most, if not all of these books are required reading for all Russian students of high school age. Alla has read them all and though it’s been years since she read them, as I ask her about this title or that, she replies affectionately, “oh yes.” So the chances are that your Russian woman has read them too.
And you ask “how will these books teach me about Russian culture?” Well it’s more than just because the authors are Russians. It’s how they write and describe Russian things like reactions, emotions, perspectives, passions, likes and dislikes, etc..
All of these books are liberally sprinkled with phrases like “as all Russians do”, or “as no Russian would agree to”, etc.. Imagine if you will, reading a novel by John Steinbeck or Ernest Hemingway and seeing statements like “any red-blooded American …”, or “to be American you’d have to ….” If you see enough of those kinds of statements in a book, you start to develop an understanding about this people. And the Russian books below are full of those kinds of “observations.” So much so that one thing you start to learn about Russian culture is that Russians are very conscious of their culture and they take pride in it. That’s the first and very important thing to understand about Russian culture. And it’s difficult for Americans to pick up on because in truth, after a mere 200 years there really is not a true “American culture” so it’s difficult for Americans to relate to a specific national culture.
So here are my recommended Russian author books that you’ll enjoy reading and that will help you acquire some understanding of Russian culture:
1. “War And Peace” by Leo Tolstoy - - This was published in 1869
Historical fiction about the Napoleonic wars and their impacts on several families of the Russian aristocracy. A broad, sweeping epic strongly rooted in fact and brought to life by a master writer.
At the top of the list of Newsweek’s “Top 100 Books” list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace
2. “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy - - This was published in serialized form from 1873 through 1877
This is a tragedy about obsessive love and an exploration of spirituality and the path to ultimate happiness.
Acclaimed by several experts as “the greatest novel ever written.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina
3. “Crime And Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky - - This was first published as 12 installments during 1866
A novel about a criminal’s self-imposed mental anguish and his psychological morass of moral dilemmas.
I can’t confirm this but I imagine this book to be required reading for any psychology major; and possibly for criminal justice students as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment
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4. “Brothers Karamasov” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - - This was published as a serial over 2 years with the final part completed in 1880.
A philosophical novel about the ethical debates on God, free will, and morality. Per Wikipedia, “a spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, and reason.”
This novel has been acclaimed by thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein and others as “one of the supreme achievements of literature.”
It is #23 on a list of the 25 most important books for Christians to read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov
Another Side note - - Check out the dates above for these books - - notice that between the dates of 1869 and 1880 the Russian people, in fact all people on Earth, were gifted with some of the finest literature ever created. And it all came from a common source - - a culture that to Americans is steeped in mystery. Just something to think about.
Yet Another Side note - - All of these books contain frequent references to religion including specific scriptural quotes from the Orthodox Bible. In fact, in “Brothers Karamazov” there are essays, almost as sermons, about specific passages in the Bible as they relate to the lives and activities of the characters in the book.
I mention this because American attitudes grossly underestimate the significance of religion in Russian culture. I’ve written about this before (see part 4 of http://russianbridefacts.com/blog/mail-order-brides/), but it bears repeating. In fact, around the year 1900, there were over 1600 churches in Moscow versus the 900 currently in Rome. True, that number dropped drastically after the communist takeover in 1917 to where there were only about 250 churches remaining in Moscow at the fall of communism. But consider that under Prime Minister Putin, there is currently an ongoing program to build 200 more churches in Moscow during the years 2010 and 2011. Plus, the Orthodox Church is closely involved with current government activities in Russia including Mr. Putin’s frequent consultations with members of the church hierarchy. I’m not making this up; it’s in the news. So wake up America. Russia is not Ronald Reagan’s “evil empire” den of atheists as is often depicted in the media and was even taught in our schools.
The Last Side note - - In August, 2011, I wrote the post http://russianbridefacts.com/blog/2011/08/30/mother-russia-russian-womens-family-values/. In this post I “cobbled together” items I’d come across while researching “Mother Russia” and presented my interpretation of how Russian culture had been affected by Russian history. While reading Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”, I discovered that my presentation was totally valid. About 2/3 of the way through the book (I should have noted chapter/paragraph - - I didn’t but will when I read it again) I came across 2 paragraphs where Tolstoy writes about Russian history versus Russian culture precisely as I had presented it. Not that this is any big deal but it is nice to be validated and does strengthen that post as a valid description of Russian culture.
There are more great classics written by these Russian authors as well as by other highly regarded Russian authors such as Nikolai Gogol and Ivan Turgenev.
And to really get a solid feel for why Russia is the way it is, read about Russian history. Read:
“Russia A New History” by Ivar Spector - - The latest edition was in 1935 - - There are 2 used copies available on Amazon.
I highly recommend this small (209 pages) history book. Dr. Spector was born in Kiev in 1898. He received his initial education in Russia and then immigrated to America after the 1917 revolution. He earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago and then went on to teach Russian history, literature and languages to Americans at the University of Washington. So he’s a “been there, done that” guy who writes very well and sprinkles personal observations about Russian culture throughout this book. He has several other later books published which I have not read so there are choices for you to investigate.
Well that’s it for now folks. I hope you find this post helpful. And further, I hope you make the time to immerse yourself in these great works of literature. You’ll not only learn a lot about Russian culture, you’ll have many hours of reading pleasure.
And because I’m posting this on January 1, 2012, please accept from Alla and I our sincere wishes for you and yours to have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!
Gary.
P.S. Your relevant comments are welcome. BUT do not use “.com” anywhere in your comment. If you do, the software will automatically delete your comment and I won’t see it. It’s a spam edit - - sorry.
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