Fall 2022 at the Newberry: From Russian Folk Epics and Holy Fools to Putin’s Propaganda

Victor Vasnetsov. Bogatyr, 1914

This fall, I invite you to join me as we learn about the oral tradition of Russian folk epics, the written lives of saints, and ancient Slavic pagan and more recent Eastern Orthodox Church worldviews, examining the interaction between them. Culminating in the study of Eugene Vodolazkin’s contemporary novel Laurus (2012), about a 15th century Russian holy fool, we will examine how Russian folk epics have been used with a propagandist aim of justifying current Russian state policies.

The seminar will held online via Zoom on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to noon CT for eight (8) weeks starting October 1, 2022 and ending November 19, 2022.

For the complete seminar description, click here. Check The Newberry’s website for registration details. Click here to begin registering on Learning Stream when registration opens on August 24, 2022.