In Prisons Dark: Confinement Literature in the Russian and Soviet Empires

Catalog description

This overview of Russia prison and camp literature written by major authors incarcerated during the past two centuries, either in Imperial or Soviet institutions, will introduce students to the rich and varied tradition of Russian autobiographical literature about centers of confinement, punishment and correction. The personal history of each prisoner, in addition to the time, duration, and location of the imprisonment, will inform our readings of these texts, which represent a range of prison experiences shaped by religious conviction, social class, political affiliation, health considerations, gender identity, and conditions of confinement in disparate prison and camp systems. Taught in English .