This master thesis examines the heritage of the Prague journal Volja Rossii, one of the leading Russian emigration's periodical publications in 1920s, in terms of literary criticism. The research aims to describe the main tendencies in the perception of current socio-political processes of that era, as well as the Soviet literature and other cultural processes in SSSR of the interwar period, by the magazine's critics and columnists. Furthermore, this study includes biographical data, thematical and theoretical preferences in publications of the key personalities in the journal's editorial staff.

Title: Vladimir Nabokov’s Russian short stories (1921-1942): The game between real and supernatural in short fiction. (Italian title: I racconti in lingua russa di Vladimir Nabokov (1921-1942): il gioco tra reale e soprannaturale nella forma breve). In this Ph.D. research project, I examined several short stories written by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977). I focused my attention on the relationship between the real and the supernatural and examined how such a relationship evolved over the years. My research aims to highlight how Nabokov introduced innovations in the European literary tradition with his supernatural short fiction. The core of Nabokov’s first short stories is a binary opposition between something that can be described as real (or realistic), and something that belongs to the realm of the fantastic. The dynamic tension between the real and the supernatural allows Nabokov to renew the European and Russian tradition of “novellas” and supernatural tales. Gradually, Nabokov phased out the fantastic elements and focused on the inner life of the characters that he unveiled through a series of epiphanic moments. The evolution of Nabokov’s short fiction reflects the crisis of the artistic representation experienced by the European intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century. Nabokov experimented with different kinds of narratives forms to examine the condition of the Russian immigrants and how they relied on imagination and memory to deal with the pain of exile. In this regard, he underscores that only the act of remembering can give new life to the lost past thus conferring dignity to the troublesome present life. The first chapter starts with an overview of numerous studies on short fiction to determine what a “short story” actually is. I then examine the definition of “real” and “supernatural” as well as the most significant scholars’ interpretations of Nabokov’s short stories. Subsequently, I investigate the social, cultural, and historical background of Nabokov’s stories. Finally, I present a chronological list of the stories examined in the thesis. In the second chapter, I carry out the analysis of the short stories I selected for my research. Most of the stories are characterized by the presence of fantastic and supernatural elements. I divided the stories into five different sections, each dedicated to a specific type of supernatural. In this chapter, I examine the different interpretations that have been offered by Nabokov scholars and I provide a new understanding of the evolution of Nabokov’s narrative. In the third chapter, I analyze the relationship among the different short stories to draw a hermeneutic map of the transformations of the narrative core and the themes of the stories. In the conclusion, I outline the main insights of my research.

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This study examines how travelogues by the Russian author Anton Chekhov, an American, George Kennan and a British citizen, Harry de Windt, contributed towards establishing the image of Siberia towards the end of the 19th century, juxtaposing their individual views against the commonly perceived view of the region at the time. In examining the texts, a literary analysis is merged with elements of other approaches, through a strong thematic focus, centring on the cultural and ideological assumptions implied in the texts. The findings reveal that both native inhabitants and foreigners are capable of expressing a justifiable opinion on a locality, resulting in different versions of what is observed, from divergent points of view. Although the three writers in this study appear to support a negative view of Siberia, closer investigation show evidence of optimism about the eventual destiny of a region in a stage of transition. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Russian)

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver uma análise comparada da representação de Napoleão Bonaparte por meio do estudo da obra de Lev Tolstói, Guerra e paz, e dos exemplares da Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro. Para tanto, foi realizado o mapeamento de tais escritos com a finalidade de identificar as referências à figura de Napoleão e o contexto em que estão inseridas. Desta maneira, foi possível identificar as aproximações e os afastamentos entre os dois tipos de representações de Napoleão e a dimensão do mito napoleônico no imaginário de russos e luso-brasileiros. / This work aims to develop a comparative analysis of Napoleon Bonaparte representation through the study of Lev Tolstoys work, War and Peace, and Gazeta do Rio de Janeiros issues. Therefore, the mapping of such writings was done in order to find references to Napoleons figure and the context in which they are inserted. Thus, it was possible to identify the approaches and departures between two types of Napoleons representations and the size of Napoleonic myth in the minds of Russians and Portuguese-Brazilians.

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The transfer of an artistic work from the literary medium to the filmic medium presents technical, personal, social and political factors for consideration which are capable of revealing important information about the times in which both the literary work and the film work were created. In a Russian context, where both literature and film have played roles of central cultural importance, the study of this interaction can be particularly fruitful. The first chapter of this dissertation considers the theoretical aspects of adaptation, namely fidelity to the original work and questions of metaphor and narrative structure. After examining these issues in a general context, Chapter 1 then views them in the light of specific stages of Russian cinematic history. The remaining chapters of this dissertation consider selected post-revolutionary Soviet and Russian filmic adaptations of the works of Nikolai Gogol', Fedor Dostoevskii and Anton Chekhov in chronological order. Analysis of both text and film is undertaken in order to demonstrate the complexity of literary and extra-literary factors involved in adaptation. The works of Gogol' have provided film makers with the challenge of finding "adequate" filmic equivalents to this writer's narrative devices, particularly his use of skaz [oral folk narration]. Dostoevskii's works have proven to be a stumbling block for film makers, both in terms of their ideological acceptability, and their exploration of complex psychological and religious issues. The adaptations of Chekhov's works have provided cinema with diverse subject matter that reflects the various stages and developments of Russian cinematic history, from pure fabula borrowing to an emphasis on mood and atmosphere. The interdisciplinary approach of this dissertation strives to show both the on-going relevancy of nineteenth-century Russian literature to modern culture, and the cinema's ability to present vastly differing interpretive possibilities of the literary cano

This study examines how travelogues by the Russian author Anton Chekhov, an American, George Kennan and a British citizen, Harry de Windt, contributed towards establishing the image of Siberia towards the end of the 19th century, juxtaposing their individual views against the commonly perceived view of the region at the time. In examining the texts, a literary analysis is merged with elements of other approaches, through a strong thematic focus, centring on the cultural and ideological assumptions implied in the texts. The findings reveal that both native inhabitants and foreigners are capable of expressing a justifiable opinion on a locality, resulting in different versions of what is observed, from divergent points of view. Although the three writers in this study appear to support a negative view of Siberia, closer investigation show evidence of optimism about the eventual destiny of a region in a stage of transition. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Russian)

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver uma análise comparada da representação de Napoleão Bonaparte por meio do estudo da obra de Lev Tolstói, Guerra e paz, e dos exemplares da Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro. Para tanto, foi realizado o mapeamento de tais escritos com a finalidade de identificar as referências à figura de Napoleão e o contexto em que estão inseridas. Desta maneira, foi possível identificar as aproximações e os afastamentos entre os dois tipos de representações de Napoleão e a dimensão do mito napoleônico no imaginário de russos e luso-brasileiros. / This work aims to develop a comparative analysis of Napoleon Bonaparte representation through the study of Lev Tolstoys work, War and Peace, and Gazeta do Rio de Janeiros issues. Therefore, the mapping of such writings was done in order to find references to Napoleons figure and the context in which they are inserted. Thus, it was possible to identify the approaches and departures between two types of Napoleons representations and the size of Napoleonic myth in the minds of Russians and Portuguese-Brazilians.

Le Roman russe d’Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé paraît au bon moment. À la fin du XIXe siècle, l’« horizon d’attente » de la France est plus que favorable à la réception de la littérature russe. Saturée et étouffée non seulement par le pessimisme consécutif à la défaite de 1871 mais aussi par le scientisme et le naturalisme, la société française ressent un besoin de renouveau dans tous les domaines de la vie. L’affaiblissement de la France sur la scène internationale fait de l’alliance avec la Russie un objectif politique prioritaire. Cette problématique nourrit aussi l’ambition de Vogüé de rapprocher les deux pays. « La pauvre vie spirituelle » de la France contemporaine incite le vicomte à accentuer le caractère chrétien de la littérature russe. Redonner à la France ses valeurs chrétiennes d’autrefois – voilà encore une ambition du vicomte exprimée au travers du Roman russe.À sa parution, en 1886, l’ouvrage connaît un succès immédiat non seulement dans le milieu intellectuel mais également auprès du grand public. En important la littérature russe en France, Vogüé veut découvrir à ses compatriotes, en plus de son génie littéraire et culturel, les particularités de l’âme russe. L’alliance franco-russe, le rapprochement culturel et intellectuel entre les deux pays, la russomanie du peuple, la russophilie des intellectuels, la renaissance de l’idéalisme, telles furent en France les nombreuses résonances du Roman russe. / The Russian Novel by Eugène-Melchior de Vogüé comes out just at the right time. At the end of the 19-th century «the horizon of expectation» in France is more than favourable to perceive Russian literature. Satiated and suppressed by the postwar (1871) pessimism, exultant scientism and naturalism the French society begins to feel the need for change in all spheres of life. The loss of position on the international scene makes the country seek for alliance with Russia which becomes the main political goal of France in this historic period. Soon it becomes one of the goals of the viscount’s literary works. Seeing spiritual poverty in contemporary France Vogüé gives emphasis to Christian nature of Russian literature. Bringing the country back to its original Christian values – that is the other goal of Vogüé embodied in The Russian Novel.Before the book comes out in 1886, it is a total success both among intellectuals and general public. Introducing Russian literature in France Vogüé wants his compatriots not only to know and appreciate Russian literary and cultural genius, but to discover specific features of the Russian soul. The French-Russian alliance, cultural and intellectual convergence of the two countries, Russomania among the general public, Russophilia among the intellectuals, rebirth of idealism - these were the numerous echos of The Russian Novel in France.