Professional Affiliation

Professor, University of Southern California

Wilson Center Project

Love as a Cultural Concept in Russian Utopianism from 1860-1940

Project Summary

Offers a history of ’love’ in Russian utopianism from 1860-1940, with emphasis on the turn-of-the-century. Combines literary and philosophical texts that define the utopian conceptions of love with history of erotic and familial relations among the intelligentsia. Claims that the conscious construction of the private life, especially in the erotic sphere, is central to materialist and spiritual utopianism, showing that the two are linked despite the differences. Contributes to Russian cultural history from the perspective of private life.