Simon Franklin is Professor of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a Fellow of Clare College. His work delves deeply into Russian history and culture, exploring its rich complexities. Franklin's academic contributions are recognized for their significant achievements in the field.
This book explores a new approach to the study of writing, through the concept of the 'graphosphere'. It presents a comprehensive interpretative guide to forms of writing in Russia across four centuries, and a test case for comparative study of graphospheres elsewhere.
Focusing on the development of a political, economic, and social nexus among the diverse inhabitants between the Carpathians and Urals, this volume reveals the historical roots of modern Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The authors delve into life in Rus, highlighting the rise of Kiev as a political center, the advent of Christianity, and regional prosperity amidst shifting power dynamics. Despite its fractured and tumultuous nature, the narrative showcases a story of growth and achievement, offering a comprehensive synthesis of post-Soviet historiography.
A masterful translation of one of the great novels of the 20th century Nothing in the whole of literature compares with The Master and Margarita. Full of pungency and wit, this luminous work is Bulgakov's crowning achievement, skilfully blending magical and realistic elements, grotesque situations and major ethical concerns. Written during the darkest period of Stalin's repressive reign and a devastating satire of Soviet life, it combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with incident and with historical, imaginary, frightful and wonderful characters. Although completed in 1940, The Master and Margarita was not published until 1966 when the first section appeared in the monthly magazine Moskva. Russians everywhere responded enthusiastically to the novel's artistic and spiritual freedom and it was an immediate and enduring success. This new translation has been made from the complete and unabridged Russian text.