In this Book
- A Russian Prince in the Soviet State: Hunting Stories, Letters from Exile, and Military Memoirs
- Book
- 2006
- Published by: Northwestern University Press
- Series: Studies in Russian Literature and Theory
summary
Of a noble and distinguished family disenfranchised by the Bolshevik revolution, Vladimir Trubetskoi (1892-1937) alone remmained in Russia, and suffered the consequences.His life and experiences are well documented in this remarkable volume, a selection of his writings that reflects his comfortable prewar existence and his post-revolutionary poverty, uncertainty, and displacement, all conveyed with humor and ironic detachment. Including selections from Trubetskoi's memoirs, his letters from exile in Uzbekistan, and his hunting stories, the chapters of this volume offer autobiographical narratives of the self, creative "reflections," ethnography, and, most of all, uniquely evocative and informative instances of history lived and recorded with quiet power and irrepressible character.
In his letters from exile, Trubetskoi describes his grim situation in Central Asia-how he snatched moments to write between mornings playing piano in a ballet studio and late nights in a restaurant band, struggling with the heat, the insect-borne illness, and the problems of a large, uprooted family. His memoirs of 1911-12, "Notes of a Cuirassier," are the culmination of his efforts and they convey in vivid detail the glittering prewar world of an elite Russian Guards regiment. These reminiscences as well as his stories offer a glimpse of what life was like for a citizen of Imperial Russia who tried to make a life for himself in the new Soviet state. Instructive, amusing, moving, Trubetskoi's stories are also an inspiring example of how a person of grace and true nobility meets large-scale social and political upheaval.
In his letters from exile, Trubetskoi describes his grim situation in Central Asia-how he snatched moments to write between mornings playing piano in a ballet studio and late nights in a restaurant band, struggling with the heat, the insect-borne illness, and the problems of a large, uprooted family. His memoirs of 1911-12, "Notes of a Cuirassier," are the culmination of his efforts and they convey in vivid detail the glittering prewar world of an elite Russian Guards regiment. These reminiscences as well as his stories offer a glimpse of what life was like for a citizen of Imperial Russia who tried to make a life for himself in the new Soviet state. Instructive, amusing, moving, Trubetskoi's stories are also an inspiring example of how a person of grace and true nobility meets large-scale social and political upheaval.
Table of Contents
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- Illustrations
- pp. vii-viii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- Introduction
- pp. xi-xvii
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Bochonkin and Khvoshch
- How We Fished for Grandmother
- pp. 5-13
- Shchadilov Pond
- pp. 14-20
- A Trap with a Triple Rehearsal
- pp. 21-29
- I Got the Fox!
- pp. 30-35
- The Death of the Dirigible
- pp. 36-42
- Adventures at the Zoo
- pp. 49-54
- The Recovery of the Dirigible
- pp. 55-63
- The Wolf Hunt
- pp. 64-72
- Beautiful Mecha
- pp. 73-81
- The Black-White-and-Tan Skewbald Dog
- pp. 92-106
- Letters from Exile
- pp. 107-143
- Notes of a Cuirassier
- Chapter One. Choosing a Regiment
- pp. 147-157
- Chapter Two. The Training of a Guardsman
- pp. 158-172
- Chapter Three
- pp. 173-186
- Chapter Seven. The Third Squadron
- pp. 228-245
- Chapter Eight. The Camp at Krasnoe Selo
- pp. 246-261
- Chapter Ten. Becoming an Officer
- pp. 271-281
- Chapter Eleven. The Mores of the Regiment
- pp. 282-292
Additional Information
ISBN
9780810165915
Related ISBN(s)
9780810116559
MARC Record
OCLC
607884999
Pages
351
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No