Historical Library

Thinking about the history of Russia and the Soviet Union I have decided to publish that reading list and the list of audio and video resources and personalities, that in my personal opinion could be helpful for understanding of Russian background and give the flavor of the country. It is my personal opinion that have nothing common with general point of view on the subject.

I would greatly appreciate if you share with me what you have read, listened or watched of Russian origin. And if it matches with my feeling of Russia I would add this pieces to this Library as well. Please contact me.


Suggested Russian books:

  1. “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov. Translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, 1999 is recommended
  2. Any poems, stories, novels, verse novel, dramas or fairy tales in verse by Alexander Pushkin (in particular translated by Mary Hobson) (“The Captain’s Daughter”, “Eugene Onegin”, “Dubrovsky”, “The Belkin’s Tales” etc.)
  3. “In the Service of the Tsar Against Napoleon: The Memoirs of Denis Davidov, 1806-1814”, translated and edited by Gregory Troubetzkoy
  4. “Essai sur la guerre de partisans, Traduction d’Héraclius de Polignac, Avant-propos du général Fortuné de Brack” by Denis Davidoff
  5. Poetry by Denis Davidov (if you ever find it translated)
  6. “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol
  7. “Memoires” by Prince Felix Youssoupoff (French)

Suggested Russian and Soviet movies:

  1. Wait for me / Zhdi menya (1943), directed by Boris Ivanov, Alexander Stopler
  2. The Hussar Ballad / Gusarskaya ballada (1962), directed by Eldar Ryazanov
  3. The alive and the dead / Zhivye i myortvye (1964), directed by Alexander Stopler
  4. Andrei Rublev (1966), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
  5. War and Peace / Woina i Mir (1968), directed by Sergei Bondarchuk
  6. Seventeen Moments of Spring / 17 Mgnoveniy Vesny (6 DVD Set) (1973), directed by Tatiana Lioznova
  7. Only old men are going to battle / V boi idut odni stariki (1974), directed by Leonid Bykov
  8. A Star of Fascinating Happiness / Zvezda plenitelnogo schastya (1975), directed by Vladimir Motyl
  9. The Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath / Ironia sudby ili S legkim parom (1975), directed by Eldar Ryazanov
  10. 20 days without war / 20 dnei bez voiny (1977), directed by Alexey German

  11. An Ordinary Miracle / Obyknovennoye chudo (1978), directed by Mark Zakharov

  12. The very Munchausen / That Munchausen / Tot samyy Myunkhgauzen (1979), directed by Mark Zakharov
  13. Moscow does not believe in tears / Moscva slezam ne verit (1979), directed by Vladimir Menshov

  14. Assassination Attempt or Teheran 43: Spy Ring / Tegeran 43 (1981), directed by Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir Naumov

  15. Squadron of the flying hussars / Eskadron gusar letuchikh (1982), directed by Nikita Khubov, Stanislav Rostotsky (if you ever find it with English subtitles)

  16. The House That Swift Built / Dom, kotoryy postroil Svift (1982), directed by Mark Zakharov

  17. Mary Poppins, Goodbye / Meri Poppins, do svidaniya (1983), directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze
  18. Love and pigeons / Liubov i golubi (1984), directed by Vladimir Menshov
  19. The Island / Ostrov (2006), directed by Pavel Lungin
  20. Happy people: a year in the taiga (2010), directed by Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov
  21. Territory / Territoriya (2015), directed by Aleksandr Melnik
  22. Paradise / Ray (2016), directed by Andrey Konchalovskiy
  23. Spacewalk / Vremya pervykh (2017), directed by Dmitriy Kiselev
  24. Salyut-7 / Salyut-7 (2017), directed by Klim Shipenko

Suggested Russian singers:

  1. Feodor Chialiapin (1873 – 1938), bas opera singer
  2. Mark Reizen (1895 – 1992), bas opera singer
  3. Lyudmila Zykina (1929 – 2009), national folk singer
  4. Vladimir Vysotsky (1938 – 1980), singer-songwriter

Suggested Russian dancers:

  1. Anna Pavlova (1881 – 1931), ballerina
  2. Igor Moiseyev (1906 – 2007), male ballet dancer, choreographer of character dance
  3. Galina Ulanova (1910 – 1998), ballerina
  4. Maya Plisetskaya (1925 – 2015), ballerina
  5. Māris Liepa (1936 – 1989), male ballet dancer
  6. Rudolf Nureyev (1938 – 1993), male ballet dancer

Suggested Russian music:

  1. Opera “Sadko” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov
  2. Symphony №7 (Leningradskaya) by D. Shostakovich
  3. Symphony №7 by S. Prokofiev
  4. Piano Concerto No. 2 S. Rachmaninoff
  5. Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Op.31 by S. Rachmaninoff
  6. Time, Forward! suite by G. Sviridov
  7. Snowstorm Waltz by G. Sviridov
  8. Spring and Autumn by G. Sviridov

Suggested Russian musicians:

  1. Leonid Cogan (1924 – 1982), violinist;
  2. Mstislav Rostropovich (1927 – 2007), cellist and conductor;

Suggested webistes:

  1. http://www.sovmusic.ru/english/index.php

Famous Russian songs:
Katiusha (music by Matvei Blanter, lyrics by Mikhail Isakovskyi)