Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), who lived in the 19th-century Russian Empire, astonished his contemporaries with his singular writing style, sharp humour and vivid imagination. Today, nearly 200 years later, Gogol remains one of the most original and innovative Russian writers. Gogol’s lasting influence is undeniable - his work inspired literary giants like Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vladimir Nabokov, Mikhail Bulgakov and many others.
In the first part of her lecture, historian Anastasia Shteinert will explore the life and work of Nikolai Gogol. She will delve into the various fascinating aspects of his biography - the writer’s childhood in Ukraine, his travels in Europe, the mysterious circumstances of his death and the story behind Gogol burning the second part of his renowned Dead Souls. She will also examine Gogol’s key works, with particular attention to how, beneath the surface of realism, Gogol’s prose reveals different literary universes.
In the second part of the lecture, Anastasia will focus more closely on Gogol’s famous Petersburg Tales. She will begin with The Overcoat (Шинель), his most influential short story, where a witty anecdote about a “little man” turns into an encounter with a ghost. She will also discuss The Nose as an early example of literary absurdism and The Portrait - a Gothic story about an artist falling under the spell of a sinister painting. In each of the stories, Anastasia will trace how St. Petersburg functions as a unifying backdrop -and, at times, almost as a character in its own right.
You are encouraged to read The Overcoat by Gogol before the lecture.
Anastasia Shteinert is an historian and journalist who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and who is now based in Boston, where she is studying for a PhD in History at Brandeis University. She works as a content creator and lecture host at the Russian History Museum, Jordanville, New York State.
Anastasia specialises in modern Russian and Jewish history. Her research focuses on the history of St. Petersburg and its representations in literature and mass media, as well as the history of post-1917 Russian emigration to the United States.
Before relocating to the US in February 2022, Anastasia worked as a political reporter in St. Petersburg and Moscow and collaborated with Russian-language publications such as Vedomosti, Diletant, Holod, Vot Tak and the Echo of Moscow radio station. Her recent essays and interviews relating to Russia’s war against Ukraine have appeared in English-language outlets, including Teen Vogue, Public Seminar and Eurozine.
