RUSSIANS IN FRANCE, AMERICANS IN RUSSIA. NEW BOOKS OF THE SCHOLARLY SERIES ROSSICA. RUSSIA AND THE WEST. LITERARY CONTACTS & CONNECTIONS ALEXANDRE STROEV. DESTINS LITTÉRAIRES DES ÉCRIVAINS RUSSES EN FRANCE. MOSCOW, LITFAKT PUBL., 2023. 320 P.GALINA LAPINA. AMERICANS IN MOSCOW, 1930-1940. МOSCOW, LITFAKT, 2022. 206 P.

Abstract

New monographs of the scholarly series ROSSICA. Russia and the West. Literary Connections and Contacts of the Litfact publishing house examine Russian-French and Soviet-American literary and cultural connections of the first half of the 20th century. Book by Alexandre Stroev is dedicated to the Russian writers (I. Bunin, Dm. Merezhkovsky, A. Bely, E. Zamyatin, M. Voloshin) in France, their literary and public reputation and the reception of their works. Galina Lapina considers American-Soviet contacts and joint projects (theatrical, cinematic, educational) of the 1930s and early 1940s. The heroes of her book are American writers, journalists, diplomats, artists, and students. Both monographs are based on archival documents, letters, memoirs, fictional texts, materials from the Soviet/Russian and foreign (French or American) press. The study of an impressive source array made it possible to reveal unexplored episodes in the life of Russian writers in France and unknown part of their legacy, to reconstruct the history of Soviet-American joint ventures in the fields of culture, education, literature, theater and cinema.