Join Janet Hartley for a rich and fascinating exploration of the Volga that reveals the river's vital place in Russian history.
About this Event
The longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches over three and a half thousand kilometres from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation—and has united and divided the land through which it flows.
In her recently published book The Volga Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the river from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire’s control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.
The Volga: a History of Russia's Greatest River is available in the Pushkin House Shop. All proceeds from the shop go to Pushkin House.
Reviews
“Meticulously researched and sympathetically written...Without the Volga, there would be no Russia. The final words of Janet Hartley's book sound sweeping. But its 400 pages make the case powerfully.”—The Economist
“Well-researched and accessible to general readers...Hartley has a good eye for the significant detail.”—Tony Barber, Financial Times ‘Best Books of the Week’
“A vivid, human-centered story of the great river standing at a crossroad of peoples and cultures...Hartley’s voyage along the serpentine river is magical and full of charm.”—Farah Abdessamad, Asian Review of Books
“Hartley does an excellent job of highlighting the many ethnic and religious groups that have lived in the shadows of Russia’s greatest river [and] creates a vivid picture of this region throughout history, and the powerful river that has shaped so many lives.”—Kit Gillet, Geographical ‘Book of the Month’
“This is a work of masterful condensation, commanding storytelling and an invitation to marvel at the 'gloomy grandeur' of one of the Earth's oldest residents.”—Matthew Janney, Spectator
“Hartley treats the reader to captivating stories of conflict, conversion, trade, famine, migration and myth [and] convincingly shows that any understanding of Russian history requires an understanding of the Volga.”—Andy Bruno, History Today
"With clarity and commanding breadth of vision, Hartley chronicles the life of a great river through times of shocking violence and times of tranquillity.”—Rachel Polonsky, author of Molotov’s Magic Lantern
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet Hartley is Professor Emeritus of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she worked for over 30 years. She is the author of seven books on Russian history including a biography of Alexander I (1994), a social history of Russia 1650-1825 (1998), a biography of a British diplomat which examines Anglo-Russian diplomacy in the reign of Peter I (2002) , a study of the impact of war on Russian state and society in the period 1762-1825 (2008), and a history of Siberia (2014). Her latest book, The Volga: a History of Russia’s Greatest River, was published by Yale University Press in January this year. She has also edited or co-edited 7 books and written many articles on Russian history in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.