Discourses on Racial (In-)Equality in Journalism and Literature during the Era of the Great Reforms

Join us for another 19v seminar! The event is online only. Register for Zoom.

It is often assumed that racist discourses were only weakly developed in nineteenth-century Russophone culture. I argue here, however, that racist beliefs were widespread, even within the so-called nihilist movement. As examples, I will analyse racist statements by prominent publicists such as Nikolai Dobroliubov (1836-1861) and Dmitrii Pisarev (1840-1868), as well as those bylesser known figures, including Nikolai Shelgunov (1824-1891) and Varfolomei Zaitsev (1837-1883). I will also examine the depiction in literary texts of presumably black characters: in the short story "Afrikan" (1855) by Mikhail Mikhailov (1829-1865) and in translations into Russian of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Poems on Slavery." The presentation will illustrate how the theme of racial (in)equality played an important role in discourse surrounding the emancipation of the serfs. 

Speaker: Maksim Demin (Ruhr University Bochum) 

Discussant: Mina Magda (University of Michigan)

Due to the U.S. time change, this talk will be an hour earlier for European participants.