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London Through Russian Eyes, 1896-1914

An Anthology of Foreign Correspondence

Maria Artamonova translator Anna Vaninskaya editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:London Record Society

Published:1st Nov '22

Should be back in stock very soon

London Through Russian Eyes, 1896-1914 cover

Translated anthology of 'London Letters' written by Russian foreign correspondents which makes available for the first time in English the Russian perspective on early twentieth-century London life. This anthology provides a unique window onto Britain's capital city as it existed more than a century ago in the minds of the Russian reading public. Russian foreign correspondents produced a substantial body of writing documenting London life in all its infinite variety, but their articles, published in Russian journals and newspapers, have not been accessible to English speakers until today. These articles, instrumental in forging Russian perceptions of London before the First World War, have now acquired a new interest as monuments of a vanished era and as records of the city's history in their own right. The selections in this anthology from Isaak Shklovsky, Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak and Semyon Rapoport give just a taste of the riches that still lie hidden in the pages of old periodicals. The anthology is divided into four sections: 'Foreigners in London', focusing on the plight of immigrants in the city; 'London Labour and the London Poor', documenting the experiences of working-class Londoners; 'London at Home and at Leisure', depicting the domestic life and amusements of Londoners of all classes and ages; and 'London Streets and Public Life', covering elections, religious meetings, famous trials, jingoist celebrations and the funeral of Queen Victoria. The articles are accompanied by an in-depth introduction, illustrations and extensive annotations. This anthology will appeal to anyone interested in London history or in Anglo-Russian relations, as well as to scholars of Russian literature. Chukovsky and Marshak both became famous writers later in life, and many of Shklovsky's sketches have a distinct literary as well as historical value.

The selections are excellent and the translations so smooth that one rarely remembers that these are indeed translations. And the editor's footnotes fully justify their positioning at the foot of the relevant page, rather than corralled as endnotes. Even the production of the book itself (by Boydell and Brewer for the London Record Society) is first class. Full marks to all concerned. * EAST-WEST REVIEW *
Anna Vaninskaya's London through Russian Eyes is a valuable anthology of early twentieth-century Russian foreign correspondence that documented a broad range of London life for the curious Russian reader. Until this anthology, no one had translated this wealth of material into English. * LABOUR HISTORY REVIEW *
A perusal of this anthology is highly recommended not only to those who are interested in a comparative study encompassing Russian and British cultures, but also to those who are keen on gaining a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that shaped British society during that period. * BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR VICTORIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER *
Overall, this volume is highly recommended. Vaninskaya has collected engaging, perceptive, and thought-provoking articles, and overseen their excellent translation. * MODERN BRITISH HISTORY *
Vaninskaya comments on the stereotypical generalisations, biases, and inaccuracies of the narratives that the reader can find in the texts, and her analysis of the articles is a valuable contribution to scholarship. * THE LONDON JOURNAL *
Vaninskaya has brought together a fascinating collection of sources that help to cast light on how London was constructed in the imagination of Russians in the decades before 1917. * SLAVONIC AND EAST EUROPEAN REVIEW *

ISBN: 9780900952029

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 950g

380 pages