Anthology of Russian Literature from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Volume 1 (of 2): From the Tenth Century to the Close of the Eighteenth Century

Published in 1902, this landmark anthology brought Russia's literary soul to English-speaking readers for the first time. Leo Wiener gathered verses, chronicles, and tales spanning eight centuries, from the mysterious origins of Old Russian literature through the glories of the eighteenth century. Here are the strange, beautiful seeds of a literary giant: epic byliny sung by wandering minstrels, the haunting chronicles of medieval monasteries, the satirical swipes of Fonvizin, and the elegant odes of Lomonosov. Wiener's critical eye guides readers through the political and cultural storms that shaped these voices, showing how geography, Orthodoxy, and the eternal struggle between autocracy and the human spirit forged a literature unlike any other. For anyone curious about where Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky came from, this volume holds the answer in the very bones of the tradition.