Online Book Club: The Bizarre and the Mysterious in St. Petersburg
An online book discussion with Anastasia Shteinert
Curious things are happening in St. Petersburg. One morning, a barber awakens to find that his nose has embarked on a social climb of its own. On another day, an artist acquires a cursed portrait that alters the course of his life.
Guided by Anastasia Shteinert, RHM’s Communications and Engagement Manager, we’ll wander the streets of 19th-century St. Petersburg through two of Nikolai Gogol’s famous stories, The Portrait and The Nose. Along the way, we’ll explore the hallmarks of “Petersburg prose”: myth, the absurd, social satire, and more—all through the voice of one of Russia’s greatest writers.
The book club will take place over two Zoom sessions, and we encourage you to join both for the fullest experience! Each session will last up to 1 hour and 15 minutes:
-Thursday, November 6, 7 PM Eastern Time—The Portrait
Anastasia will begin with a short talk on Gogol and his time before we dive into discussion of The Portrait and get to know each other.
-Wednesday, November 12, 7 PM Eastern Time—The Nose
In this session, we’ll turn to Gogol as an absurdist and humorist. Anastasia will share visuals tied to the story and trace the paths of the wandering nose through St. Petersburg.
Please note:
-Participants are expected to read the stories beforehand to take part in the discussion. The Portrait should take about 1,5 hrs to read; The Nose is shorter—around 50 min. You will receive the texts shortly after registration to allow plenty of preparation time.
-Due to the participatory nature of the event, spaces are limited. Please register early.
This program is FREE.
About the Presenter
Anastasia Shteinert is the Communications and Engagement Manager at the Russian History Museum and a Ph.D. student in History at Brandeis University.
She holds a B.A. in Literature (Liberal Arts and Sciences) from Saint Petersburg State University in Russia and an M.A. in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School in New York.
Anastasia specializes in modern Russian and Jewish history. Her research focuses on the history of St. Petersburg and its representations in literature and mass media, as well as the history of post-1917 Russian emigration to the United States. Before relocating to the United States from Russia in February 2022, Shteinert worked as a journalist in Saint Petersburg and Moscow.