Russia: Past and Present with George Swope
Five Wednesdays 1:30-3:30 at the Wellfleet Library on 4/19, 26, 5/3, 10, 17.
Class limited to 18 participants.
This statement often rings true for many who are not familiar with Russian history. And its history is critically important to understanding its present because, as an old Russian saying states, “Russia is a country with an unpredictable past”.
As the historian Orlando Figes has written, “Russia is a country held together by ideas rooted in its distant past, histories continuously reconfigured and repurposed to suit its present needs and reimagine its future… No other country has reimagined its own past so frequently; none has a history so subjected to the vicissitudes of ruling ideologies. History in Russia is political.”
While highlighting important historical events, this course primarily focuses on the essential ideas/themes in Russian’s past such as the role of the state, the influence of its geography, and its messianic mission in the world. How have these ideas/themes repeatedly been revised to fit the needs of the present, including the 21st century. Class meetings are a combination of readings, presentations and group discussion.