Books that cannot be accommodated in our book review section but that are worthy of special attention are listed here with their tables of contents.
Gramshammer-Hohl, Dagmar and Hergenröther, Oana, eds.. Foreign Countries of Old Age. East and Southeast European Perspectives on Aging (PDF). Aging Studies, vol. 19. Bielefeld, Germany: Transcript Verlag, 2021. 386 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Tables. Maps. €45.00, hard bound.
Introduction, Dagmar Gramshammer-Hohl and Oana Hergenröther, (Graz). HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES. Old Age in the Balkans Increasing Life Expectancy – Decreasing Regard, Karl Kaser, (Graz). Co-Residence of Elderly Persons with Children and Grandchildren in Eastern and Southeast Europe18th and 19th Centuries, Siegfried Gruber, (Graz). “University Elders,” “Young Professors” and Students A Generational Approach to the History of Higher Education in Russia in the Late 19th Century, Tatiana Saburova, (Bloomington). Changes in Soviet Academia's Age-Related Personnel Policies during the Cold War, Kirill Levinson, (Moscow). QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INQUIRIES. No Country for Old People: Ethnography of Traditional and Contemporary Conceptualizations of Old Age in Rural North Macedonia, Ana Aštalkovska Gajtanoska and Ilina Jakimovska, (Skopje). Meanings of Getting Old in Post-Transition Serbia: A Gender Perspective, Natalija Perišić and Nadežda Satarić, (Belgrade). On Nearness and Distance: Seniors’ Lives in Urban Areas in Slovakia, Ľubica Voľanská, Marcela Káčerová, and Juraj Majo (Bratislava). The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Family Communication Dialogues with Grandmothers from Romania, Loredana Ivan, (Bucharest). The Elderly in Russia: A Socio-Psychological Approach, Olga Krasnova, (Moscow). LITERARY REPRESENTATIONS. Aging in Soviet Utopian and Dystopian Literature, Rafaela Božić, (Zadar). Ageless, Vital, Immortal Human Transformation in 20th-Century Russian Science and Literature, Tatjana Petzer, (Berlin/Halle). Noticing Signs and Stereotypes of Aging: Representations and Performance of Mind and Body in Tolstoj's War and Peace, Jane Gary Harris, (Pittsburgh). Does Genre Matter? The Role of Literary Genre and Narrator in Contemporary Russian Caregivers’ Narratives, Maija Könönen, (Helsinki). Traumatic Aging in Borisav Stanković and Miloš Crnjanski: The Symptomatic Body in the Modern and Expressionist View on Soul and Society, Ingeborg Jandl, (Vienna). The Dark Past of Family Age Roles and Superstition in Southeast European Literature and Popular Culture, Natalia Stagl Škaro, (Dubrovnik). The Hag and the Egg: Slavic Mythologies of Old Age as Reflected in Dubravka Ugrešić's Novel Baba Yaga Laid an Egg, Dagmar Gramshammer-Hohl, (Graz). Commemorating Russia's Great Old Women: An Interview with Ludmila Ulitskaya, Dagmar Gramshammer-Hohl.
Maguire, Muireann and Langen, Timoth, eds. Reading Backwards: An Advance Retrospective on Russian Literature(PDF). Cambridge, Eng.: Open Book Publishers, 2021. xxvi, 270 pp. Index. £29.95, hard bound. £19.95 paper.
Muireann Maguire and Timothy Langen, Introduction: Countersense and Interpretation. I. Gogol. Timothy Langen, Something for Nothing: Imagination and Collapse in O'Brien, Krzhizhanovsky, and Gogol. Ilya Vinitsky, Seeing Backwards: Raphael's Portrait of Nikolai Vasil΄evich Gogol. II. Dostoevsky. Michael Bowden, The Voice of Ivan: Ethical Plagiarism in Dostoevsky and Coetzee. David Gillespie and Marina Korneeva, Foretelling the Past: Fyodor Dostoevsky Follows Guzel΄ Yakhina into the Heart of Darkness. Inna Tigountsova, Notes from the Other Side of the Chronotope: Dostoevsky Anticipating Petrushevskaia. III. Tolstoy. Muireann Maguire, Master and Manxman: Reciprocal Plagiarism in Tolstoy and Hall Caine. Steven Shankman, The Posteriority of the Anterior: Levinas, Tolstoy, and Responsibility for the Other. Svetlana Yefimenko, From Sky to Sea: When Andrei Bolkonskii Voiced Achilles. Eric Naiman, Afterword: But Seriously, Folks…(Pierre Bayard and the Russians).
Rajner, Mirjam. Fragile Images: Jews and Art in Yugoslavia, 1918–1945. Leiden: Brill, 2019. xxviii, 446 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. $199.00, hard bound.
Introduction. Part 1. In Search of an Identity: Sephardic, Zionist, Yugoslav. Introduction to Part 1. Chapter 1. From Dorćol to Paris and Back: Moša Pijade's Self-Portraits. Chapter 2. Sarajevo's Multiculturalism: Daniel Kabiljo's Sephardic Types. Chapter 3. A Croatian Zionist: Adolf Weiller between the East European Shtetl and the Lure of Nature. Part 2. From Avant-Garde to Political Activism. Introduction to Part 2. Chapter 4. Bora Baruh's Refugees. Chapter 5. Ivan Rein's Paris: From the Quartier Latin to Camp Vernet. Chapter 6. The Ethnic and Universal Avante-Garde: Daniel Ozmo's Linocuts. Part 3. “We Artists Have to Paint”: Art Created during the War and the Holocaust. Introduction to Part 3. Chapter 7. Bora Baruh in Occupied Belgrade: Images of Jewish and Christian Mourning. Chapter 8. Art in Jasenovac: Daniel Ozmo and the Artists of the Ceramic Workshop. Chapter 9. Refugee and Artist: Ivan Rein, Johanna Lutzer, and Jewish Cultural Life in Kraljevica. Chapter 10. The Rab Island Camp: From Internment to Freedom. Part 4 Producing Art for Partisans: Creativity between Ideology and Survival. Introduction to Part 4. Chapter 11. Bora Baruh as a Partisan, 1941–1942. Chapter 12 Johanna Lutzer: Jewish Refugees with the Partisans in Croatia. Chapter 13 Postscript: Jewish Artists as National Heroes, Victims of Fascism, and Holocaust Survivors. Conclusion.
Salys, Rimgaila, ed. The Contemporary Russian Cinema Reader 2005–2016. Film and Media Studies. Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2019. 402 pp. Notes. Index. Photographs. $29.95, paper.
Preface. Vlad Strukov, Introduction: Russian Cinema in the Era of Globalization. Aleksandr Prokhorov, Dead Man's Bluff (dir. Aleksei Balabanov, 2005). Denise J. Youngblood, The Sun (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov, 2005). Anthony Anemone, Cargo 200 (dir. Aleksei Balabanov, 2007). Helena Goscilo, Mermaid (dir. Anna Melikian, 2007). Rimgaila Salys, Hipsters (dir. Valery Todorovsky, 2008). Serguey Oushakine, Silent Souls (dir. Aleksei Fedorchenko, 2010) Imaginary Documents: Inventing Traditions in Aleksei Fedorchenko's Cinema. Tatiana Mikhailova, The Smoke of the Fatherland: Body as Territory, Sexuality as Identity in Silent Souls. Justin Wilmes, My Joy (dir. Sergei Loznitsa, 2010). Julian Graffy, Elena (dir. Andrei Zviagintsev, 2011). Andrei Zviagintsev: Unblinking Chronicler of Family Crisis and Human Frailty. Elena Prokhorova, Crime without Punishment? Andrei Zviagintsev's Elena between Art Cinema and Social Drama. Ilya Kukulin, The Target (dir. Aleksandr Zel΄dovich, 2011). Tomhomas Roberts, The Horde (dir. Andrei Proshkin, 2012). Mark Lipovetsky, Short Stories (dir. Mikhail Segal, 2012) Lost in Translation. Liliia Nemchenko, Tell Me What You Know about Russia? Greg Dolgopolov, Legend Number 17 (dir. Nikolai Lebedev, 2013). Anton Dolin, Hard to be a God (dir. Aleksei German, 2013) God Complex. Elena Stishova, Aleksei German. From Realism to Modernism. Julian Graffy, Leviathan (dir. Andrei Zviagintsev, 2014). Liliia Nemchenko, The Land of Oz (dir. Vasily Sigarev, 2015). Steve Norris, My Good Hans (dir. Aleksandr Mindadze, 2015). Jeremy Hicks, Paradise (dir. Andrei Konchalovsky, 2016).
Shirogorov, Vladimir. War on the Eve of Nations: Conflicts and Militaries in Eastern Europe, 1450–1500. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2021. 509 pp. Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Chronology. Index. $135.00, hard bound.
1. Entering 1500. 2. The Reign Expeditio: Four Decades of the Polish Fighting Eminence, c. 1450–1490. 3. Lithuanias Sequel: A Breakdown and Consolidation of the Lithuanian Military, c. 1450–1485. 4. A Blind Visionary: Moscow's Search for Superior Warfare, c. 1450–1480. 5. A Carousel of Forces: The Interplay of Moscow, Novgorod and Kazan Warfare, c. 1485–1500. 6. The Operational Theatre: Approaching the Partition of Eastern Europe, c. 1485–1500. 7. Inside 1500: The Campaign of Eastern Europe's Partition. 8. A Pot for Two Heads: Conclusions and Explanations. Appendix: The Action Schedule of Eastern Europe, c. 1450–1500.
Graham, Norman A., Lindahl, Folke, and Kocaoglu, Timur. Making Russia and Turkey Great Again?: Putin and Erdogan in Search of Lost Empires and Autocratic Power. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2021. xvi, 268 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Tables. $110.00, hard bound.
1: The “Waves of Democratization” versus the Persistence of Authoritarianism in Eurasia. Part I. From the Soviet Union to the Russian Federation. 2: Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. 3: Yeltsin in Search of a Viable Russian Federation. 4: Putin—Making Russia Great Again Through Foreign Adventurism and Authoritarian Political Power. Part II. From the Founding of the Republic of Turkey to the Authoritarian President. 5: The Collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Emergence of Atatürk's Republic. 6: Democratization and Authoritarianism in the Maturing of the Republic Gaining State Power over the Economy and the Transition to Democracy. Conclusion: Is Authoritarianism (and Economic Stagnation) the Normal Eurasian Way?
Gratchev, Slav N., Marinova, Margarita, and Evdokimova, Irina, eds. Russian Modernism in the Memories of the Survivors: The Duvakin Interviews 1967–1974. Trans. Gratchev, Slav N. and Marinova, Margarita. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2021. xiv, 248 pp. Notes. Index. Photographs. $60.00 hard bound.
Dmitry Sporov, Introduction. Dialogue 1: Victor Ardov on 6 August 1974. “How Sergey Yesenin recited poems, about one version of his suicide, and why fame cannot be trimmed by administrative means.” Dialogue 2: Victor Ardov on 19 August 1974. “On working with Vsevolod Meyerhold, and on bohemian life in Moscow in 1920s–1930s.” Dialogue 3: Vladimir and Ariadna Sosinsky on 18 June 1969. “On the failed duel in defense of Marina Tsvetaeva, and on the life of Russian emigrants in Prague and Paris.” Dialogue 4: Roman Jakobson on 21 August 1967. “On my friendship with Vladimir Mayakovsky.” Dialogue 5: Vladimir and Ariadna Sosinsky on 21 June 1969. “On meetings with Pasternak and Babel, German captivity, the uprising on the Oleron island, and working at the UN.” Caryl Emerson, Afterword. Ekaterina Snegireva, Notes on the Photo Collection.
Jusic, Tarik, Marko, Davor, Herrero, Laia Castro, and Puppis, Manuel. Up in the Air? The Future of Public Service Media in the Western Balkans. Budapest-New York: Central European University Press, 2021. ix, 300 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Figures. Tables. Maps. $85.00, hard bound.
Laia Castro Herrero, Tarik Jusić, Davor Marko, and Manuel Puppis, Chapter 1: Challenges and Prospects of Public Service Broadcasting in the Western Balkans. Part I: Western Balkan Media Systems. Blerjana Bino, Chapter 2: Public Service Media in Albania: RTSH's Reforming Struggles. Nidžara Ahmetašević and Tea Hadžiristić, Chapter 3: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davor Marko, Chapter 4: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Croatia. Naser Miftari, Chapter 5: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Kosovo. Nataša Ružić, Chapter 6: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Montenegro. Snežana Trpevska and Igor Micevski, Chapter 7: Four Normative Principles for Participatory Public Service Model in North Macedonia. Davor Marko, Chapter 8: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Serbia. Part II: Comparative Perspectives. Péter Bajomi-Lázár, Chapter 9: The Iron Law of Public Service Television. Zrinjka Peruško, Chapter 10: Overcoming Path Dependencies in PBS Developments in Southeast Europe. Gregory Ferrell Lowe, Chapter 11: Public Service Broadcasting in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans: Mission, Values, and Challenges. Michał Głowacki, Chapter 12: Public Service Media in the Context of Adaptation and Change: A Call for Organizational Culture Analysis. Marko Milosavljević and Melita Poler Kovačič, Chapter 13: Between The Hammer and the Anvil: Public Service Broadcasters in the Western Balkans Squeezed Between Commercialization and Politicization. Sally Broughton Micova, Chapter 14: Digital Switchover and PSM in the Western Balkans. Kenneth Murphy, Chapter 15: Prospects for Post Switchover Media Policy in the Western Balkan Countries. Barbara Thomass, Chapter 16: State of the Art and the Future of PSM in the Western Balkans.
Davis Cross, Mai΄a K. and Karolewski, Ireneusz Pawel, eds. European-Russian Power Relations in Turbulent Times. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2021. vi, 303 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Tables. $75.00, hard bound.
Mai'a K. Davis Cross and Ireneusz Paweł Karolewski, Introduction: Power Dynamics in EU-Russian Relations The EU's Foreign Policy vis-à-vis Russia. Rosella Cappella Zielinski and Kaija Schilde, European Military Power: Institutional Legacies and External Threat in EU Defense Cooperation. Helene Sjursen and Guri Rosén, Arguing Sanctions: On the EU's Response to the Crisis in Ukraine. Marianne Riddervold, Crisis and Cooperation: How the Ukraine Crisis Enabled the EU's Maritime Foreign and Security Powers. Cristian Nitiou, The European External Action Service and the Ukraine Crisis: The Case of the 2015 Revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Russia's Foreign Policy: The Domestic and International Context. Molly Krasnodębska, Confrontation as Ontological Security: Russia's Reactions to the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Ryan C. Maness, Death by a Thousand Cuts: Is Russia Winning the Information War with the West? Dimitar Bechev, The Russian Challenge in Southeast Europe. Yulia Nikitina, Russia's Regionalism Projects in Eurasia. Vsevolod Samokhvalov, Power, Identity, and Circumstances: Three Factors in the Ukrainian Crisis. Conclusions. Ireneusz Paweł Karolewski and Mai'a K. Davis Cross, Europe-Russia Relations in the Shadow of the Transatlantic Divide.
Duester, Emma, The Politics of Migration and Mobility in the Art World: Transnational Baltic Artistic Practices Across Europe. Bristol, UK: Intellect Books, 2021. vii, 198 pp. Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Photographs. $106.50, hard bound.
Introduction. 1. Researching the Baltic States and Its Mobile Professionals: Context and Methodology. 2. Cross-Cultural Exchange and Cultural Transition in the Baltic Art Worlds. 3. The Nature of Artists’ Work: Getting onto the Global Art Market. 4. Artists’ Homescapes and a ‘Homing Aesthetics.’ Conclusion. Appendices. Appendix A: Interviewing Artists and Culture Professionals. Appendix B: Artists’ Bios and Permissions.
Ryan, James and Grant, Susan, eds. Revisioning Stalin and Stalinism: Complexities, Contradictions and Controversies. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2021. xiv, 250 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $115.00, hard bound.
James Ryan and Susan Grant, Introduction: Revisioning Stalin and Stalinism. Part I. The Controversial Vozhd΄: Stalin as Leader and Statesman. Christopher Read, The Many Lives of Joseph Stalin: Writing the Biography of a “Monster.” Peter Whitewood, Stalin's Purge of the Red Army and Misperception of Security Threats. Daniel Kowalsky, Stalin and the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939: The New Historiography. Chris Bellamy, Brute Force and Genius: Stalin as War Leader. Part II. Challenging Stalinist Models: Cults of Personality. Judith Devlin, The Stalin Cult in Comparative Context. Balázs Apor, From Heroic Lion to Streetfighter: Historical Legacies and the Leader Cult in 20th Century Hungary. Part III. New Ways of Understanding the Stalinist System: The Cold War. Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Revisioning Stalin's Cold War. Geoffrey Roberts, Working Towards the Vozhd΄? Stalin and the Peace Movement. Molly Pucci, Construction of a Confession: The Language and Psychology of Interrogations in Stalinist Czechoslovakia. Part IV. In Lieu of an Epilogue. James Ryan, Reckoning with the Past: Stalin and Stalinism in Putin's Russia.
