1. Урок 1: Visual and Cultural Literacy
1. ИЗВЕСТНЫЕ МЕСТА (FAMOUS PLACES)
This is perhaps the one building most people
associate with Russia. It is called St. Basil’s
Cathedral (or the Cathedral of Basil the
Blessed)—Храм Василия Блаженного—and
it stands at the foot of Red Square, next to
the Kremlin.
2. Given its iconic status,
it’s a popular place to
have yourself
photographed—to prove
you were really there!
3. 2. ИЗВЕСТНЫЕ РУССКИЕ (FAMOUS RUSSIANS)
Александр Сергеевич
Пушкин (1799-1837)
Это Пушкин. Он
известный русский
поэт. Он очень
хороший писатель.
Русские любят
Пушкина.
Это известный портрет Пушкина.
Художник: Орест Кипренский, 1827
4. Пушкин was considered a prodigy;
this painting by Ilya Repin depicts a
famous episode from Pushkin’s
biography when the young poet
recited one of his poems to the
elderly poet Gavrila Derzhavin, who
praised him profusely and even shed
tears.
Here’s one of Pushkin’s early poems:
Золото и булат
"Всё моё"--сказало злато;
"Всё моё"--сказал булат.
"Всё куплю"--сказало злато;
"Всё возьму"--сказал булат.
1814
золото: gold (злато is a variation on it)
булат: damask steel (a type of sword)
всё: everything, all
сказать: to say (here it’s in the past tense)
куплю: I will buy
5. This is another famous portrait
of Pushkin by the artist Tropinin
(Тропинин).
Pushkin was a prolific
doodler—here’s a self-
portrait from one of his
manuscripts.
The Pushkin Monument (Памятник Пушкину) on
Pushkin Square (Пушкинская площадь) is a
popular meeting place for Muscovites. It invariably
has flowers on it, left by admiring readers.
6. In addition to his lyric
poetry, some of Pushkin’s
most famous works include
Eugene Onegin (Евгений
Онегин), a novel in verse;
Boris Godunov (Борис
Годунов), an historical
drama about the Time of
Troubles; The Tales of Belkin
(Повести Белкина); The
Queen of Spades (Пиковая
дама); and The Captain’s
Daughter (Капитанская
дочка)
The monument to Pushkin at Tsarskoe Selo
(Царское село), where he studied at the
Imperial Lyceum.
7. 3. ИЗВЕСТНЫЕ ХУДОЖНИКИ И ИХ КАРТИНЫ
(FAMOUS ARTISTS AND THEIR PAINTINGS)
Борис Кустодиев
(1878-1927)
Кустодиев was a member of the “World of Art” (Мир искусства)
group, one of the leading movements in early twentieth-century
Russian art. Artists associated with Мир искусства embraced the
notion of “art for art’s sake,” rejecting the prevailing aesthetic in
Russian art of the second half of the nineteenth century, which
posited that art should serve social purposes.
“Moscow Tavern” (Московский трактир), 1916
“Merchant’s Wife” (Купчиха), 1918
Кустодиев often
painted colorful
pictures of
Russians from the
merchant class as
well scenes from
provincial life.
8. Масленица, 1920
Масленица, 1916
Масленица, 1919
A favorite theme for Кустодиев was the
Russian folk holiday масленица, which comes
from the word масло (“butter”). Масленица
takes place in the spring the week before the
start of Lent, corresponding to the period of
carnival in the Catholic tradition. In addition to
participating in sleigh rides and other winter
activities, Russians celebrating масленица
(which can roughly be translated as “Butter
Week”) would typically gorge themselves on
блины, thin, buttery pancakes served plain or
with fillings like jam, sour cream, meat, caviar,
etc.
9. “The Fair” (Ямарка), 1906
Вербный базар, 1917
“Palm Sunday” is Вербное воскресенье in
Russian, that is, “Pussy-willow Sunday.”
This painting depicts a holiday bazaar on
Red Square. Recognize the building in the
background?
10. Б. М. Кустодиев
«Большевик», 1920
Кустодиев
welcomed the
Russian Revolution
of 1917, making it
the theme of this
famous painting
called “The
Bolshevik.”
11. 4. Объекты культуры: Самовар
Tea (чай) first arrived in Russia
from China in the 17th
century, and
it quickly became an important
part of everyday Russian life.
The samovar (самовар) is a staple
in Russian culture. Usually made
of metal, samovars are used to
heat water, which is then in turn
added to strong tea to dilute it to
correspond to the tastes of the tea
drinker. Traditionally heated by
coals (though modern ones are
electric) the самовар keeps the
water hot for a long time, which
allows the tea-drinking ritual to
extend over a long period of time.
The самовар also the subject of a popular Russian proverb: В Ту́лу со свои́м
самова́ром не е́здят, which means "You don't go to Tula with your own samovar.”
Tula, a city south of Moscow, is famous for its metal-working crafts, including
weapons and samovars. The proverb cautions against doing something unnecessary
or superfluous.
12. Several of Kustodiev’s paintings of the merchant
class depict women drinking tea prepared with a
самовар. Here is one of his more famous paintings
by called “Merchant Woman Drinking Tea”
(Купчиха за чаем), 1918. You can see the самовар
on the left.
Кустодиев returned to this theme frequently in his
paintings—here’s another “Merchant Woman Drinking
Tea” (Купчиха, пьющая чай), 1923. Note how the
самовар in both paintings has a spot on the top to
place the teapot so that the brewed tea can stay warm
as well.
