Dr. Nina Wieda presents "How the Russian Soul is Made: Spending and Wasting in Russian Culture" - July 22, 2010

Thursday, July 22, Noon-1 p.m.
UAA Campus Bookstore

In her presentation, Nina Wieda addresses the stereotype of "Russian wastefulness" and its roots in the Orthodox Christian concept of kenosis, or "emptying out." How the theological concept was transferred into the Russian secular culture and became a cornerstone for Russian national identity is examined.  Addressing popular forms, Wieda discusses writer Fydor Dostoevsky's contributions in making "emptying out" a part of the Russian national identity and analyzes how Eduard Limonov, known as a scandalous writer and oppositional politician, employs dogma of "emptying out" in his contemporary writing and political program today.

Nina Wieda was born in the South of Russia and received her Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Northwestern University. She has authored articles on Chekhov, Stoppard, co-authored the book Russian for Dummies, and is the recipient of the Yesenin National Prize for poetry from the Molodia Gvardiia Journal, Moscow.

This event is sponsored by the UAA Russian Program in the Department of Languages. Everyone is invited to attend this free event and to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about modern Russian culture.

For more information, please contact Rachel Epstein at (907) 786-4782.