RUSSIAN LITERATURE 2

The course is part of the "Literature and Cultures" learning area and is entitled "Aspects and Problems of Russian Culture in the Silver Age". The main themes of literary civilisation and intellectual debate from 1890 until 1932, the year in which all free cultural associations were dissolved, will be illustrated, outlining an essential overview of the evolution of Russian and Soviet culture in that period.

1. Knowledge and understanding
● Acquisition of the basic concepts and "cultural specific items" linked to the history and culture of the period 1890-1932 in Russia.
● Recognition of the main movements of Russian literature and thought of this period.
● Memorize the salient facts of the lives of the two chosen prose authors.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
● Knowledge of how to frame a literary object related to the first sixty years of the twentieth century in its own historical-cultural context.
● Knowledge of how to read and translate a literary text dealt with the teacher and comment on it with an appropriate language.
● Knowledge of how to reconstruct a chronological framework of the main events in Russia from 1890 to 1932.

3. Judgment capacity
● Knowledge of how to formulate and argue simple hypotheses, also developing a critical approach to the evaluation of alternative hypotheses.

4. Communication skills
● Knowledge of how to explain in an appropriate language the specificities of content and historical-literary texts of the program, referring to adequate bibliographic sources.
● Knowledge of how to interact with peers and with the teacher in a critical and respectful way.

5. Learning skills
● Knowledge of how to consult critically the reference texts and the bibliography contained in them by applying the concepts and concepts to the individual research work.

The knowledge of the historic and cultural evolution of Russia from the origins to the Tsardom of Alexander II (as illustrated in the courses of Russian literature 1 and 2). A written comprehension of Russian language at A2/B1 level is required.

The lessons will be of two types:

1) History of Russian literature and culture.
On the background of the fundamental events of the period (World War I; the October Revolution; the Civil war; NEP; Stalinism; the Great Patriotic War) the Lecturer will give the main notions on the following topics: Russian literature before the revolution (the literary movements of Symbolism, Akmeism, Futurism) and literary criticism (Formalism); the intellectual life after the revolution: the Twenties; Russian emigration.

2) Close reading of literary texts (in Italian and in Russian, with translation in the classroom by the Lecturer)
We will focus on: the comprehension of the author's style and poetics; the place occupied by the works in the literary evolution of the time; the references to the social and cultural questions.

For a bibliography of the course in English language, please contact the Lecturer.

The oral exam in Italian has a maximum duration of 30 minutes per student.
The teacher will first propose to the student an extract from one of the PRIMARY TEXTS, asking him/her to comment on it in relation to the stylistic/thematic peculiarities he/she can recognise, as well as with reference to the historical context and, if considered pertinent, to the author's biography. They will then be asked about the other texts (BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY).
You will then have to demonstrate that you
- have read the PRIMARY texts in depth, identifying their salient content and stylistic features also with the help of the critical apparatus of the PRIMARY TEXTS and the essays on SECONDARY TEXTS: A (50%);
- have a clear understanding of the essential framework of the historical, cultural and literary evolution of the period between 1890 and 1932 (30%: prepare on SECONDARY TEXTS. "B" and possibly "C")
- use language that is clear and appropriate to the situation (20%).

Lectures. Students will be required to actively participate in the analysis of texts in the classroom, preferably by reading the bibliography at home in advance. Active engagement at home and in class is considered important in view of an optimal preparation for the examination and for the achievement of the learning objectives. In this regard, students who do not have the opportunity to complete their preparation in the classroom by following the lectures are invited to have at least one reception with the lecturer (in presence or online).

Italian

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