The Devil Went Down to Moscow

📅 Date & Time:
Eight weekly sessions on Mondays
October 7 – December 9, 2024
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern
(No meetings October 14 and 28)

Join Rosemary Gould, an experienced seminar leader, for an eight-week deep dive into The Master and Margarita, one of the most beloved novels of the 20th century, written by Mikhail Bulgakov. We will explore this Russian masterpiece alongside key works by Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam, whose lives and poetry were shaped by the Stalinist era. These three writers shared a common experience: all were suppressed by the regime, and all used their creativity to bear witness to the devastation of their time.

In this seminar, you’ll be guided through the intricate and fascinating world of The Master and Margarita, considered one of the greatest novels in Russian literature. We will also study Akhmatova’s Requiem and a selection of other poems that reflect the shared struggle for creative expression in an oppressive era.

Rosemary Gould, who has studied Russian and literature extensively, brings a wealth of experience to this seminar. Whether you’re new to Russian literature or revisiting it, you’ll find this seminar both insightful and engaging. Read these works together and discover how they add depth to each other’s meaning.

Leader:
Rosemary Gould has a PhD in English literature and has been leading seminars for Classical Pursuits for many years. She spent time studying Russian in Leningrad and is a passionate guide to Russian literature, particularly The Master and Margarita, her favorite novel.

Readings:

• The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
  Abrams (2021), ISBN-13: 978-1419756504
• Requiem by Anna Akhmatova (provided)