Study Guides for Land of the Firebird
Chapter 1
- Byzantium at the time of Vladimir.
- Who were Boris and Gleb? What did they symbolize? In what way were they Christ-like?
- What was Vladimir called in Russian folklore?
- How did the Russians "humanize" the Byzantine church rite?
- Symbolism of domes on Russian churches
- Iconostasis
- Icon arrangement on the iconostasis
- How did the Russians humanize the icon?
- The role of icons
Chapter 2
- What are "byliny"?
- What are "bogatyry"?
- What did Yaroslav the Wise contribute to Russian Culture?
- How did most Novgorodians earn their living?
- What did Novgorod contribute to church architecture?
- How did Kiev and Novgorod compare to other western European cities of the period?
- How was Novgorod governed?
- What is the significance of the cap of Vladimir Monomakh?
Chapter 3
- How long did the Kievan state last?
- What are some of the causes for the fall of the Kievan state?
- How did the Kievan state come to an end?
- Genghis Khan.
- What kind of warriors were the Mongols?
- Why did Novgorod not fall to the Mongols?
- What is "The Golden Horde"?
- Who was Alexander Nevsky?
- How did Russia change under the Mongols/Tartars?
- For how long was Russia under the Mongols?
Chapter 4
- What role did the Orthodox church play during the Mongol period?
- How did the Mongols govern Russia?
- Holy Trinity Monastery
- Dmitry Donskoy
- Moscow, "The Third Rome"
- What changes in the Moscow Kremlin were made under Ivan III?
- What role did Zoe play in Russian culture?
- What is the Church of the Assumption? Church of the Annunciation?
Chapter 5
- How did the tsars select their brides?
- terem
- What was life like for women in the Kremlin?
- On what bases was Moscow divided into quarters?
- What was the role of the church in daily Muscovite life?
Chapter 6
- Who was Richard Chancellor?
- What may have been the cause of Ivan the Terrible's cruelty later in his life?
- What was Ivan the Terrible's attitude toward the arts (music, writing, etc.)?
- What are some of the contradictions about his character?
- St. Basil's Cathedral. Who were the architects? Why was it built?
- What were banquets like in the time of Ivan the Terrible?
- Who are the "Oprichniki"?
Chapter 7
- How did Boris Godunov come to power?
- What were the origins of serfdom in Russia?
- What was "The Time of Troubles"?
- Who were Minin and Pozharsky?
- Michael Romanov
- What was happening in the arts in the 1600's?
- Nikon?
- Old Believers
- German Suburb
Chapter 8
- Why do you think Peter hated the Kremlin?
- What was Peter's childhood like?
- How did Peter learn about Western traditions and innovations before he went to Europe?
- Who were Patrick Gordon, Francis Lefort and Prince Menshikov?
- What were some of the trades Peter learned in Europe?
- What was Peter's reaction when he saw all the novelties in Europe?
- What kind of people did Peter ask to come to Russia?
- How did Russians react to Peter's westernization?
- How did Peter change Russia after his trip to the west? What kind of things did he introduce?
- 10. The building of St. Petersburg.
- Why did Peter want to build the city?
- Why did he build it on that particular spot?
- How was it different from other Russian cities?
- What were some of the problems in building the city?
- What was the reaction of the Russians to the new city?
- What is the architectural significance of the Peter and Paul Fortress?
- What was Peter's taste in architectural design and indoor furnishings?
- Trezzini
- What kind of relationship did Peter have with his son Alexis?
- What are some similarities in personality and manner of ruling Russia among Vladimir, Ivan the Terrible and Peter?
Chapter 9
- Why did Russians like Elizabeth?
- What was social life like in the reign of Elizabeth?
- Which of the arts delighted Elizabeth the most?
- What was the state of the arts in the reign of Elizabeth?
- Lomonosov
- Architecture during Elizabeth's reign
- Rastrelli; what three famous buildings did he design?
Chapter 10
- How did Catherine the Great, a non-Russian, manage to become the Empress of Russia?
- What was Catherine's relationship with Orlov?
- How did Catherine's style of reign differ from that of Elizabeth?
- Why do you think Russians liked Catherine?
- French influence in the arts
- Princess Dashkova's contribution to learning
- What kind of architectural design did Catherine like?
- What differentiates Russia's classical style from similar styles in Europe?
- Falconet
- Why was Catherine called the "Great"?
- The Bronze Horseman
- What was the relationship between Catherine and Potemkin?
- "Potemkin village"
Chapter 12
- What are some examples of folk culture?
- What was the attitude of elegant society toward folk culture?
- What was the peasants' attitude toward foreign cultures and the culture of elegant society?
- Why did foreigners consider Russians barbarians?
- How did Russians address each other when meeting?
- What are some Russian proverbs? How would you interpret them (American equivalents)?
- What are some of the customs associated with bathing.
- How did Russians act when drinking?
- What does the word "krestyanin" mean?
- What is a person's Name Day?
- How did the church calendar regulate the activities of peasant life?
- What was the peasant's relationship with God like?
1
- Explain the following statement by Massie about Russians: "This calm acceptance of the fate and the sympathy for human suffering are perhaps the greatest strengths of the Russian people and the most basic expression of Russian Christianity."
- What are "rusalki"?
- What is a "domovoy"?
- What are some Russian popular beliefs and superstitions?
- What are some of the superstitions associated with bears?
- How are Russian folk tales different from German ones?
- Who are some of the characters in Russian folktales?
- What can you say about the tradition of singing and folksongs?
- Describe the old wedding rituals.
Chapter 13
- Massie claims that the variety, beauty and craftsmanship of Russian folk arts belie the stereotype of the Russian peasant as a "gloomy, downtrodden creature" and demonstrate a "jubilant attitude toward life." What are some examples of these folk arts at which the Russians excelled?
- Use of wood for construction. (See picture of the Church of the Transfiguration in Firebird.
- Use of the ax.
- How were houses decorated on the outside? on the inside?
- What is a matryoshka?
- What is a samovar, and how does it work?
- What is the Tsar Bell?
- What did the traditional peasant dress look like?
- What is a kokoshnik?
Chapter 15
- What can you say about the education of Russian artists in the 19th century?
- Russian themes in painting.
- Briulov
- Kiprensky
- Ivanov
- Venetsianov
- Private serf theater
- Didelot
- What kind of relationship was there between the public and the arts and artists in Pushkin's time?
Chapter 16
- Lermontov
- The life of a military officer in Pushkin's time
- How did Pushkin die?
- Why was Pushkin important in the development of Russian literature?
Chapter 17
- Significance of the Neva in the daily life of St. Petersburg.
- How is St. Petersburg different architecturally from Moscow?
- dvornik
- Describe the "international" character of St. Petersburg in the 18th and 19th century.
- Describe Nevsky Avenue.
- What kind of exotic things could be found in the shops on Nevsky Avenue?
- Russian coachmen
- Describe Russian "drozhki".
- What is a "troika"?
- What were market places like in St. Petersburg?
- Compare feasts and balls in St. Petersburg to those in Moscow in earlier periods.
- What were Western attitudes toward Russians at the time of Peter and Later? Compare to earlier Moscow times.
Chapter 18
- How did serfdom come about in Russia?
- What were the debates of the 1860's and 1870's about?
- What was the difference between the system of serfdom in Russian and that of slavery in the US?
- What was life like for peasants after the emancipation?
- Describe Peter the Great's system of ranking?
- What is a "dacha"?
- Describe a typical Russian country house.
- What was life like in the country?
- How were strangers treated in the country?
- What did people do for amusement in the countryside?
- Who was Elene Molokhovets and what did she contribute to Russian culture?
- Describe the fair at Nizhny Novgorod.
Chapter 20 (pp. 325-338)
"The Wanderers"
- What is the "intelligentsia"
- Women's education in the second half of the 19th century.
- Herzen
- Nihilists
- What should the function of art and the artist be, according to the artists of the 2nd half of the 19th century?
- What was the original aim of the Academy of Fine Arts?
- How did Nicholas change the Academy?
- Why were some of the painters dissatisfied with the Academy? What did they do about it?
- How did Russian artists see themselves as being different from Western artists?
- What kind of themes and images did the artists strive to represent?
- Who were "The Wanderers"? What was the aim of their organization?
Chapter 21
- How did Russians celebrate Christmas before the Revolution? Give few examples.
- What did Russians like to do for amusement during winter?
- How did Russians celebrate Easter? Give few examples.
- Maslenitsa
- What did Russians like to do for amusement in early spring?
- How did Russians spend the seven-week Great Fast preceding Easter?
- What did the Tsars like to give their wives as presents on Easter?
- Faberge
- How was Easter celebrated in the church service, starting with Good Friday? Give few examples.
Chapter 23 (pp. 230-232)
- What did Glinka and Pushkin have in common? Which of Pushkin's works did Glinka adopt for the opera?
- Why is Glinka's opera "A Life for the Tsar" significant in Russian culture?
- How did Glinka's life style fit the style of a Romantic artist?
Chapter 23, (skim)
- What was training like at the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School?
- How was ballet perceived differently in Russia from the way it was perceived in the West?
- What is Petipa's role in developing Russian ballet?
- How did Petipa and Tchaikovsky collaborate?
- How was "Sleeping Beauty" received by the public at first? Why?
- What is "Russian" about "Swan Lake"?
- How did Russians improve on ballet?
- Anna Pavlova
- Nijinsky
Chapter 24
- What were the aims of The World of Art?
- Who was Diaghilev? What Journal did he help found?
- What else did Diaghilev and The World of Art group do for the arts?
- What was the Silver Age?
- Who were Larionov and Goncharova?
- Why did Diaghilev organize a large exhibit of Russian art and a series of concerts of Russian music in France?
- What Russian composer became famous in the West because of Diaghilev?
Chapter 25
- What was ballet like in Europe at the turn of the century?
- What did Diaghilev do for ballet?
- How was Diaghilev's Ballets Russes received in France? Give examples.
- Nijinsky
- Pavlova
- Fokine
- Bakst
- Benois
- Stravinsky
- What was innovative about his music?
- What is the ballet "Petrushka" about?
- How was his ballet "Rites of Spring" received?