Rus–Ukraine–Russia: Scenes from the Cultural History of Russian Religiosity (Václav Havel Series)

'An outspoken opponent of pro-Russian, authoritarian, and far-right streams in contemporary Czech society, Martin C. Putna received a great deal of media attention when he ironically dedicated the Czech edition of Rus-Ukraine-Russia to Miloš Zeman--the pro-Russian president of the Czech Republic. This sense of irony, combined with an extraordinary breadth of scholarly knowledge, infuses Putna's book. Examining key points in Russian cultural and spiritual history, Rus-Ukraine-Russia is essential reading for those wishing to understand the current state of Russia and Ukraine--the so-called heir to an "alternative Russia." Putna uses literary and artistic works to offer a rich analysis of Russia as a cultural and religious phenomenon: tracing its development from the arrival of the Greeks in prehistoric Crimea to its invasion by "little green men" in 2014; explaining the cultural importance in Russ of the Vikings as well as Pussy Riot; exploring central Russian figures from St. Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin. Unique in its postcolonial perspective, this is not merely a history of Russia or of Russian religion. This book presents Russia as a complex mesh of national, religious, and cultural (especially countercultural) traditions--with strong German, Mongol, Jewish, Catholic, Polish, and Lithuanian influences--a force responsible for creating what we identify as Eastern Europe.'--Publisher description An outspoken opponent of pro-Russian, authoritarian, and far-right streams in contemporary Czech society, Martin C. Putna received a great deal of media attention when he ironically dedicated the Czech edition of Russ–Ukraine–Russia to Miloš Zeman—the pro-Russian president of the Czech Republic. This sense of irony, combined with an extraordinary breadth of scholarly knowledge, infuses Putna's book. Examining key points in Russian cultural and spiritual history, Russ–Ukraine–Russia is essential reading for those wishing to understand the current state of Russia and Ukraine—the so-called heir to an “alternative Russia.” Putna uses literary and artistic works to offer a rich analysis of Russia as a cultural and religious phenomenon: tracing its development from the arrival of the Greeks in prehistoric Crimea to its invasion by “little green men” in 2014; explaining the cultural importance in Russ of the Vikings as well as Pussy Riot; exploring central Russian figures from St. Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin. Unique in its postcolonial perspective, this is not merely a history of Russia or of Russian religion. This book presents Russia as a complex mesh of national, religious, and cultural (especially countercultural) traditions—with strong German, Mongol, Jewish, Catholic, Polish, and Lithuanian influences—a force responsible for creating what we identify as Eastern Europe. Cover Contents Introduction Czech Perspectives on the Cultural and Spiritual Roots of Russia Scene 1 – Russia before Russia: Antique Cultures along the Black Sea Coast Scene 2 – Viking Rus and Germanic Culture Scene 3 – Slavic Rus and Paganism Scene 4 – Kievan Rus and Byzantine Christianity Scene 5 – Mongolian Rus and Eurasianism Scene 6 – Muscovite Rus and “Third Rome” Scene 7 – Muscovite Spiritual Counterculture I: Nonpossessors, Orthodox Humanists, and Holy Fools Scene 8 – Red Rus, Novgorodian Rus, and the “Window to Europe” Scene 9 – Lithuanian Rus, the Russian Reformation, and the Russian Baroque Scene 10 – Muscovite Spiritual Counterculture II: The Old Believers Scene 11 – Petersburg Rus and Russian Secularization Scene 12 – Ukrainian Rus and White Rus Scene 13 – Jewish Rus Scene 14 – Catholic Rus Scene 15 – The Orthodox Restoration Scene 16 – Orthodox Romanticism and Pan-Slavism Scene 17 – Orthodox Reformism Scene 18 – Revolutionary Rus and the Piety of the Godless Scene 19 – Soviet Rus and the Renewal of the Orthodox Trinity Conclusion New Struggles of the Old Russes Bibliography Index