A LITERATURE TOUR OF RUSSIA
Explore Russia and Russian culture with a Russian!
Proposal for a literature excursion in and around Saint Petersburg
This program has been organized in such a way, that people can choose to participate
in one, two, or three weeks of this program. People can also choose to participate
in only the second, or the third week, or both, or they can choose a few days
Week 1. Classical Authors of the Early 19th Century
Day 1.
Arrival, meeting at the airport. Transport to accommodation, making acquaintance
with host families and their flats.
Day 2.
Morning: lesson on Pushkin’s novella “Станционный смотритель” (The postmaster
of the mail coach station). Afternoon: visit to Pushkin’home on Moika 12. History
of Puchkin’s life and death. Walk through part of town nearby. Reading poems about
St. Petersburg.
Day 3.
Morning: Lesson about the short story “Портрет” (The Portrait) by Gogol’. Afternoon:
excursion to Repin’s institute (Academy of art before revolution) and acquaintance
with Russian painting.
Evening: theater / concert.
Day 4.
Free. For those interested an extra excursion can be organized to the “постоялый
двор” (mail coach inn) where Pushkin situated his “Станционный смотритель” (The
postmaster of the mail coach station, see day 2). Extra costs will be apr. $ 20.-to
$ 30.-, depending on the number of participants (transport by car).
Day 5.
Morning: lesson on Gogol’ and his short story “Невский проспект» (The Nevskii
Prospect). Afternoon: excursion along present-day Nevskii prospect.
Evening: theatre, if possible Gogol’s play “Ревизор” (Revisor) or “Женитьба” (The
Wedding).
Day 6.
Whole day: Excursion to the town of Pushkin, visit of the park and palace of Tsarskoe
selo, Introduction to Pushkin, reading Pushkin in the open and in the Imperial
Lyceum, of which Pushkin was one of its most famous pupils.
Day 7.
Morning: lesson on poems of Baratynskij, an outstanding poet of that era, but
largely unknown outside Russia.. Afternoon: Free.
Evening: party / goodbye party (for those who leave tomorrow)
Day 8.
Departure of one week participants. Arrival of new participants (see Day 1).
For those staying for a second week descriptions of some interesting and unusual
independant excursions will be available for day 8 (e.g. to the dilapidated palace
of Strel’ny, by public transport).
Week 2. Classical Authors of the later 19th Century
Day 9.
Morning: lesson on Dostoevskii. Afternoon: visit to Museum of Dostoevskii, and
excursion through “Dostoevskii’s Sankt Peterburg”.
Day 10.
Morning: lesson on L. Tolstoi. Afternoon: visit to St. Peterburg's artists or
authors.
Evening: Concert / theater
Day 11.
Free. For those interested an extra excursion can be organized to Repina, the
mansion of the famous painter Repin (by train, costs appr. $ 10.-).
Day 12.
Morning: lesson on Turgenev, one of his short stories from “Записки Охотника”
(From a huntsman’s Memory). Afternoon: visit to the Russian Museum, where we will
concentrate on Russian landscapes, especially by Levitan.
Day 13.
Morning: lesson on Chechov, and his short story «Студент» “Student” (The student).
Afternoon: Meeting with representatives of present-day nobility, their fate, their
past, their possible future.
Evening: visit to theatre, if possible for Chechov’s theater play Вишнёвый сад
(The Cherry Orchard), or Чайка (The Gull).
Day 14.
Morning: lesson on poetry by Fet and Tjuttsjev. Afternoon: free.
Evening: party / goodbye party (for those who leave tomorrow)
Day 15.
Departure of two week participants. Arrival of new participants (see Day 1).
For those staying for a second week descriptions of some interesting and unusual
independant excursions will be available for day 15 (e.g. to the medieval fortress
of Ivangorod, costs appr. $ 35 by car).
Week 3. Authors of the 20th Century
Day 16.
Morning: lesson on Nabokov (short story, poetry). Afternoon: visit (by car) of
palaces and park of Gatchina; and of the manor of the Nabokov family with its
well known “berjozovaja alleja” in Rozjdestvenno.
Day 17.
Morning: lesson on Bunin (short story, poetry). Afternoon: Bunin tea party at
the home of the Chairman of the Bunin Society (in the town center), and visit
to Nabokov’s museum in Sankt Peterburg (nearby).
Evening: theatre / concert
Day 18.
Free. For those interested an extra excursion can be organized to the fortress
of Schliesselburg (costs appr. $ 25).
Day 19.
Morning: lesson on Achmatova as a representative of the “Silver Age” of Russian
culture (poetry), and on Pasternak. Afternoon: visit to museum of Achmatova
Фонтанный дом “Fontannii Dom”.
Day 20.
Morning: lesson on Mandelsjtam. Afternoon: visit to the romantically neglected
park and palace of Strel’ny, reading poems of the Великий Князь (Grand duke) K.
R. (Konstantin Romanov, a member of the imperial family), who was born and who
lived at Strel’ny.
Evening: concert, if possible with music by Schostakovich.
Day 21.
Morning: lesson on Brodskii (poetry). Afternoon: free, or for those interested
an extra visit to St. Petersburg authors or artists.
Evening: goodbye party.
Day 22.
Departure.
----- End of tour -----
Planned theater performances are only tentative, and depend on the time of
the year and the available program (mostly it is possible to choose among several
tens of theatre performances).
PER ASPERA AD ASTRA