Crossing Thresholds: Alexander Pushkin's Treatment of World History, from Cleopatra to Berthold Schwarz

This interdisciplinary dissertation is the first in-depth study of Alexander Pushkin's engagement with world history. It examines the great Russian poet's interest in antiquity and medieval Europe in their own historical right, rather than as mere analogues to Russian society. The first chapter focuses on Pushkin's examination of early Christianity as a historical phenomenon, while the second focuses on his portrayal of the institution of chivalry. Citing various journalistic pieces, poems and dramatic works, both chapters examine a hallmark of Pushkin's historical thinking: his interest in threshold moments, when one era gives way to the next.;Based on extensive research into Pushkin's personal library, the dissertation provides several additions to established sources for Pushkin's historical knowledge of the periods under consideration. Detailed topical bibliographies for each period appear at the beginning of each chapter to establish the breadth of Pushkin's interests, and the author uses these sources to frame her arguments and provide original close readings of both well-known masterpieces (such as The Little Tragedies) and lesser-studied works (such as "Tale from Roman Life"). The overall purpose of the dissertation is to historicize the texts under question by properly contextualizing them within Pushkin's historical thinking.