Outlines Of RusSian Culture

Outlines Of Rusian Culture
by Paul Miliukov
Edited by Michael Karpovich
Translated by Valentine Ughet And Eleanor Davis
(Rare Book Collection)

This book is a comprehensive survey of Russian culture, from its origins to the present, this is the only work of its kind. While containing a wealth of factual information, it is primarily a synthesis and an interpretation, and as such it is inevitably of a somewhat controversial nature. Undoubtedly there will be some, for instance, who will not agree with Mr. Miliukov's reading of Russia's religious history, and in particular with his critical attitude towards the part played by the Orthodox church in the modern period. There will be others who probably will find that he underestimates the achievements of Soviet literature and art. Still others will be inclined to put a greater emphasis on the element of originality both in the Russian icon painting of the later Middle Ages and the neo-classical architecture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
The present version of the Outlines of Russian Culture is only a part of the Russian original. It is, however, its central part and the only one that so far has been completed.
The present book, is more than a mere translation. It is an authorized abridged version of the original, specially prepared for the American edition.
In writing this work for his compatriots, the author naturally presupposed a certain knowledge of facts on the part of his Russian public to a degree which we have no right to expect from our non-Russian readers. This has necessitated occasional explanatory notes.