Russia's People of Empire : Life Stories From Eurasia, 1500 to the Present

“A fresh and lively approach to understanding how the various Russian empires have worked.” —Slavic Review A fundamental dimension of the Russian historical experience has been the diversity of its people and cultures, religions and languages, landscapes and economies. For six centuries this diversity was contained within the sprawling territories of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and it persists today in the entwined states and societies of the former USSR. Russia’s People of Empire explores this enduring multicultural world through life stories of 31 individuals―famous and obscure, high born and low, men and women―that illuminate the cross-cultural exchanges at work from the late 1500s to post-Soviet Russia. Working on the scale of a single life, these microhistories shed new light on the multicultural character of the Russian Empire, which both shaped individuals’ lives and in turn was shaped by them. “[S]tudents of Russian empire would be well served with this work, given its snapshots of diverse imperial milieus and their attendant multicultural dialogues at the personal level.” —Slavic and East European Journal “This compilation . . . gives readers a more in-depth, personal understanding of how the inescapable existence of diversity in Russia and the Soviet Union related to everyday life . . . Highly recommended.” —Choice Russia's People Of Empire / Stephen M. Norris And Willard Sunderland -- Ermak Timofeevich (1530s/40s-1585) / Willard Sunderland -- Simeon Bekbulatovich (?-1616) / Donald Ostrowski -- Timofei Ankudinov (1617?-1653) / Maureen Perrie -- Gavril Romanovich Nikitin (?-1698) / Erika Monahan -- Boris Ivanovich Korybut-kurakin (1676-1727) / Ernest A. Zitser -- Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) / Michael D. Gordin -- Catherine The Great (1729-1796) / Hilde Hoogenboom -- Petr Ivanovich Bagration (1765-1812) / Sean Pollock -- Johannes Ambrosius Rosenstrauch (1768-1835) / Alexander M. Martin -- Imam Shamil (1797-1871) / Rebecca Gould -- Zalumma Agra, The Star Of The East (fl. 1860s) / Charles King -- Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) / Theodore R. Weeks -- Archbishop Innokentii (borisov, 1800-1857) / Mara Kozelsky -- Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852) / Edyta Bojanowska -- Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) / Richard Stites -- Aleksandr Borodin (1833-1887) / David Schimmelpenninck Van Der Oye -- Kutlu-mukhammad Batyr-gireevich Tevkelev (1850-?) And Family / Charles Steinwedel -- Petr Badmaev (1851-1919) / David Mcdonald -- Ekaterina Sabashnikova-baranovskaia (1859-?) / Barbara Alpern Engel -- Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951) / Bradley D. Woodworth -- Mathilde Kshesinskaia (1872-1971) / Krista Sigler -- Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) / Ronald Grigor Suny -- Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) / Alexandra Harrington -- Aleksandr Germano (1893-1955) / Brigid O'keeffe -- Lazar Moiseevich Kaganovich (1893-1991) / Hiroaki Kuromiya -- Dziga Vertov (1896-1954) / John Mackay -- Mukhtar Auezov (1897-1961) / Michael Rouland -- Jahon Obidova (1900-1967) / Marianne Kamp -- Olzhas Suleimenov (1936-) / Marlene Laruelle -- Boris Akunin (grigorii Shalvovich Chkhartishvili, 1956-) / Stephen M. Norris -- Vladislav Surkov (1964-) / Karen Dawisha. Edited By Stephen M. Norris And Willard Sunderland. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction: Russia's people of empire / Stephen M. Norris and Willard Sunderland Ermak Timofeevich (1530s/40s-1585) / Willard Sunderland Simeon Bekbulatovich (?-1616) / Donald Ostrowski Timofei Ankudinov (1617?-1653) / Maureen Perrie Gavril Romanovich Nikitin (?-1698) / Erika Monahan Boris Ivanovich Korybut-Kurakin (1676-1727) / Ernest A. Zitser Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) / Michael D. Gordin Catherine the Great (1729-1796) / Hilde Hoogenboom Petr Ivanovich Bagration (1765-1812) / Sean Pollock Johannes Ambrosius Rosenstrauch (1768-1835) / Alexander M. Martin Imam Shamil (1797-1871) / Rebecca Gould Zalumma Agra, the "star of the East" (fl. 1860s) / Charles King Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) / Theodore R. Weeks Archbishop Innokentii (Borisov, 1800-1857) / Mara Kozelsky Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852) / Edyta Bojanowska Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) / Richard Stites Aleksandr Borodin (1833-1887) / David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye Kutlu-Mukhammad Batyr-Gireevich Tevkelev (1850-?) and family / Charles Steinwedel Petr Badmaev (1851-1919) / David McDonald Ekaterina Sabashnikova-Baranovskaia (1859-?) / Barbara Alpern Engel Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951) / Bradley D. Woodworth Mathilde Kshesinskaia (1872-1971) / Krista Sigler Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) / Ronald Grigor Suny Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) / Alexandra Harrington Aleksandr Germano (1893-1955) / Brigid O'Keeffe Lazar Moiseevich Kaganovich (1893-1991) / Hiroaki Kuromiya Dziga Vertov (1896-1954) / John MacKay Mukhtar Auezov (1897-1961) / Michael Rouland Jahon Obidova (1900-1967) / Marianne Kamp Olzhas Suleimenov (1936-) / Marlene Laruelle Boris Akunin (Grigorii Shalvovich Chkhartishvili, 1956-) / Stephen M. Norris Vladislav Surkov (1964-) / Karen Dawisha. "A fundamental dimension of the Russian historical experience has been the diversity of its people and cultures, religions and languages, landscapes and economies. For six centuries this diversity was contained within the sprawling territories of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and it persists today in the entwined states and societies of the former USSR. Russia's People of Empire explores this enduring multicultural world through life stories of 31 individuals--famous and obscure, high born and low, men and women--that illuminate the cross-cultural exchanges at work from the late 1500s to post-Soviet Russia. Working on the scale of a single life, these microhistories shed new light on the multicultural character of the Russian Empire, which both shaped individuals' lives and in turn was shaped by them."--Project Muse A Fundamental Dimension Of The Russian Historical Experience Has Been The Diversity Of Its People And Cultures, Religions And Languages, Landscapes And Economies. For Six Centuries This Diversity Was Contained Within The Sprawling Territories Of The Russian Empire And The Soviet Union, And It Persists Today In The Entwined States And Societies Of The Former Ussr.russia's People Of Empireexplores This Enduring Multicultural World Through Life Stories Of 31 Individuals -- Famous And Obscure, High Born And Low, Men And Women -- That Illuminate The Cross-cultural Exchanges At Work From The Late 1500s To Post-soviet Russia. Working On The Scale Of A Single Life, These Micro-histories Shed New Light On The Multicultural Character Of The Russian Empire, Which Both Shaped Individuals' Lives And In Turn Was Shaped By Them. This book explores the multicultural world of historical Russia through the life stories of 31 individuals that exemplify the cross-cultural exchanges in the country from the late 1500s to post-Soviet Russia