WOMEN IN RUSSIAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY, 1700-1825; ED. BY WENDY ROSSLYN

Women in Russian Culture and Society, 1700-1825 is a collection of essays by leading researchers shedding new light on women as writers, actresses, nuns and missionaries. It illuminates the lives of merchant and serf women as well as noblewomen and focuses on women's culture in Russia during this period. Women in Russian Culture and Society, 1700-1825 examines women in Russian history in three themed sections. It opens with a section on women and the arts which examines the active role of female artists in cultural production: noblewomen writing fiction, lower-class women in the theatre, journals for women and women's travel writing. The second section on women's history shows the procedures used by lower-class women to circumvent the ban on divorce by the Orthodox Church, the early effect of Westernisation on the dress of women at court, and reveals the commerical activities of merchant widows who took over their husbands' businesses. The final section is devoted to femininity and the Chruch, and covers the religious argument in defence of female rulership, the experience of women in religious houses, and the missionary activity of British women in the Russian Empire Women In Russian Culture And Society, 1700-1825 Examines Women In Russian History In Three Themed Sections. It Opens With A Section On Women And The Arts Which Examines The Active Role Of Female Artists In Cultural Production: Noblewomen Writing Fiction, Lower-class Women In The Theatre, Journals For Women, And Women's Travel Writing. The Second Section On Women's History Reveals The Procedures Used By Lower-class Women To Circumvent The Ban On Divorce By The Orthodox Church, The Early Effect Of Westernisation On The Dress Of Women At Court, And The Commercial Activities Of Merchant Widows Who Took Over Their Husbands' Businesses. The Final Section Is Devoted To Femininity And The Church, And Covers The Religious Argument In Defence Of Female Rulership, The Experience Of Women In Religious Houses, And The Missionary Activity Of British Women In The Russian Empire.--book Jacket. Signs From Empresses And Actresses : Women And Theatre In The Eighteenth Century / Lurana Donnels O'malley -- Female Serfs In The Performing World / Richard Stites -- Women And Literature, Women In Literature : Female Authors Of Fiction In The Early Nineteenth Century / Alessandra Tosi -- Women's Travel And Travel Writings In Russia, 1700-1825 / Sara Dickinson -- The First Russian Women's Journals And The Construction Of The Reader / Gitta Hammarberg -- Without Going To A Regular Court ... : The Phenomenon Of The Divorce Letter In Petrine Russia / Ol'ga Kosheleva -- The Function Of Fashion : Women And Clothing At The Russian Court (1700-1762) / Paul Keenan -- Merchant Women In Business In The Late Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth Centuries / Galina Ul'ianova -- Sacralising Female Rule, 1725-1761 / Gary Marker -- Female Orthodox Monasticism In Eighteenth-century Imperial Russia : The Experience Of Nizhnii Novgorod / William G. Wagner -- Women With A Mission : British Female Evangelicals In The Russian Empire In The Early Nineteenth Century / Wendy Rosslyn. Edited By Wendy Rosslyn And Alessandra Tosi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-250) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 List of Tables......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Notes on Contributors......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Part I: Women and the Arts......Page 20 1 Signs from Empresses and Actresses: Women and Theatre in the Eighteenth Century......Page 22 2 Female Serfs in the Performing World......Page 37 3 Women and Literature, Women in Literature: Female Authors of Fiction in the Early Nineteenth Century......Page 52 4 Women’s Travel and Travel Writing in Russia, 1700–1825......Page 76 5 The First Russian Women’s Journals and the Construction of the Reader......Page 96 Part II: Women and Society......Page 118 6 ‘Without Going to a Regular Court...’: The Phenomenon of the ‘Divorce Letter’ in Petrine Russia......Page 120 7 The Function of Fashion: Women and Clothing at the Russian Court (1700–1762)......Page 138 8 Merchant Women in Business in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries......Page 157 Part III: Femininity and Religious Life......Page 182 9 Sacralising Female Rule, 1725–1761......Page 184 10 Female Orthodox Monasticism in Eighteenth–Century Imperial Russia: The Experience of Nizhnii Novgorod......Page 204 11 Women with a Mission: British Female Evangelicals in the Russian Empire in the Early Nineteenth Century......Page 232 Select Bibliography (2001–2006): Women in Russian Culture and Society, 1700–1825......Page 254 C......Page 264 G......Page 265 M......Page 266 P......Page 267 S......Page 268 V......Page 269 Z......Page 270 Women in Russian Culture and Society, 1700-1825 examines women in Russian history in three themed sections. It opens with a section on women and the arts which examines the active role of female artists in cultural production: noblewomen writing fiction, lower-class women in the theatre, journals for women and women's travel writing. The second section on women's history shows the procedures used by lower-class women to circumvent the ban on divorce by the Orthodox Church, the early effect of Westernisation on the dress of women at court, and reveals the commercial activities of merchant widows who took over their husbands' businesses. The final section is devoted to femininity and the Church, and covers the religious argument in defence of female rulership, the experience of women in religious houses, and the missionary activity of British women in the Russian Empire