TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION

This article proposes that there is a need for a sustained engagement with and deconstruction of steppe imaginaries in Russian and Soviet literature in the twentieth century. It argues that “steppe” is not solely a term describing a particular environment, but also a pivotal idea which has shaped an...

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Main Authors: E. Filep, C. Bichsel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Lomonosov Moscow State University 2018-09-01
Series:Geography, Environment, Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/474
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author E. Filep
C. Bichsel
author_facet E. Filep
C. Bichsel
author_sort E. Filep
collection DOAJ
description This article proposes that there is a need for a sustained engagement with and deconstruction of steppe imaginaries in Russian and Soviet literature in the twentieth century. It argues that “steppe” is not solely a term describing a particular environment, but also a pivotal idea which has shaped and shapes identities, cultural assumptions, political reasoning and even geopolitical thought. Based on the review of existing scholarship, the paper demonstrates the centrality of the steppe as a key imaginary for Russian history until the nineteenth century. However, it also reveals that the research on the relevance of such imaginaries for Russian and Soviet political history in the twentieth century is largely absent. Yet, it was during this period that the steppe environments underwent largescale transformations through processes of land reclamation, irrigation development and industrial agriculture.
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spelling doaj-art-74449cc27e604f6badddf143caa55ce72025-08-20T02:15:46ZengLomonosov Moscow State UniversityGeography, Environment, Sustainability2071-93882542-15652018-09-01113394810.24057/2071-9388-2018-11-3-39-48324TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNIONE. Filep0C. Bichsel1Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg.Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg.This article proposes that there is a need for a sustained engagement with and deconstruction of steppe imaginaries in Russian and Soviet literature in the twentieth century. It argues that “steppe” is not solely a term describing a particular environment, but also a pivotal idea which has shaped and shapes identities, cultural assumptions, political reasoning and even geopolitical thought. Based on the review of existing scholarship, the paper demonstrates the centrality of the steppe as a key imaginary for Russian history until the nineteenth century. However, it also reveals that the research on the relevance of such imaginaries for Russian and Soviet political history in the twentieth century is largely absent. Yet, it was during this period that the steppe environments underwent largescale transformations through processes of land reclamation, irrigation development and industrial agriculture.https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/474russiasteppeimaginarysoviet unionliteraturelandscape
spellingShingle E. Filep
C. Bichsel
TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
Geography, Environment, Sustainability
russia
steppe
imaginary
soviet union
literature
landscape
title TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
title_full TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
title_fullStr TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
title_full_unstemmed TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
title_short TOWARDS A RESEARCH AGENDA ON STEPPE IMAGINARIES IN RUSSIA AND THE SOVIET UNION
title_sort towards a research agenda on steppe imaginaries in russia and the soviet union
topic russia
steppe
imaginary
soviet union
literature
landscape
url https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/474
work_keys_str_mv AT efilep towardsaresearchagendaonsteppeimaginariesinrussiaandthesovietunion
AT cbichsel towardsaresearchagendaonsteppeimaginariesinrussiaandthesovietunion