A History of Russia by Roger Bartlett (review)

Abstract

REVIEWS 579 Zadarska ulica erected in 1928.The varied phases in the architectural devel opment of Belgrade over the last two centuries are all represented. Traditional Balkan designs during the first rule of Knez Milos marked the beginning of the nineteenth century, to be replaced by a taste educated in theWest, followed by the imprint of Socialist Realist architecture immediately after the Second World War. Most recendy Belgrade's criminal classes, who were brought to the foreground of public lifeduring the violent chaos of the 1990s, have shown their inclination towards funding new building projects for their private residences in a highly ornate styleof conspicuous kitsch in the so-called 'turbo' style of architecture. In all, the work reveals a close symbiotic relation ship between the cityscape and the rhythms of historywhich have influenced itsgrowth. Above all, capturing the image of Belgrade frommany different angles, the author reveals itsphysical presence as testimony to the shifting waves of cultural identity marking the lifeof thisurban community. The second volume contains entries on the many architects whose work has been discussed in the firstvolume, with biographical information, the styles which most influenced them and their contributions to the emerging city.The third volume is devoted to explaining inmore detail the terms used in the preceding two volumes. These entries are references to specific architectural features, elements of design or ornamentation, and styles which have marked the appearance of the city. Bogunovic's work is to be credited for offering a comprehensive presentation of the development of an urban infrastructure and the individual constructions which have marked its evolution. But more than this, he reveals how the houses and the internal parts of Belgrade, its streetsand districts, are a system of signswhich for thosewith thepatience to look carefully express the hopes and fears of its citizens. The city is a social and cultural idea experienced by the people who inhabit and create it.As Lewis Mumford points out inhis classic work on the subject The City in History (London, 1961): 'the buildings speak and act, no less than the people who inhabit them; and through the physical structure of the citypast events, deci sions made long ago, values formulated and achieved, remain alive and exert an influence' (p. 113).Belgrade's hidden meanings are revealed inBogunovic's Arhitektonska enciklopedya. It isa valuable work of reference for all thosewho are interested in the past and present of the city and the countries of which it has been capital in the last two centuries. Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies D. A. Norris Universityof Nottingham Bardett, Roger. A History ofRussia. Palgrave Essential Histories. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke and New York, 2005. xii + 321 pp. Maps. Illus trations.Tables. Further reading. Index. ?14.99 (paperback). There is more than one way towrite an 'essential history'. Ifyou like to over take on the inside, trypowering up the hard shoulder on Marshall Poe's Harley-Davidson. Pared down to some controversial bare necessities, The RussianMoment inWorld History (Princeton, NJ, 2003) offers an exhilarating experience but leaves you wondering whether thewheels will come offat the 58o SEER, 85, 3, JULY 2OO7 next tightcorner. Roger Bardett, by contrast, purrs down the fast lane like a Bendey. Though you might occasionally long for him to extinguish the air conditioning, you will soon be seduced by the sheer smoothness of the ride. Bardett weaves a remarkable amount of information into an account not much more than three times longer than Poe's. It is based on four central themes: Russia's territorial expansion and growing military power; the nature of itspolitical systems; the development of culture and thought; and the rela tionship between the peasantry and the state.An acknowledged authority on this last subject, Bardett draws on Gerd Spitder's notion of the 'peasant state' to insist thatRussia remained 'rightup to the fall of the Soviet Union' (p. 93) a relatively authoritarian regime in which the power of non-peasant rulers was mediated by their dealings with representatives of an essentially autarchic peasant majority. This, however, is not a concept-driven book. Divided into readily digestible thematic sections covering everything from religion to the economy, each of its chapters presents a variety of...