Socialist paradise or tower of total surveillance? Metamorphoses of the Crystal Palace in Chernyshevsky and Dostoevsky

In this thesis, I attempt to re-evaluate the symbolic meaning of the Crystal Palace in Russian literature (particularly in Chernyshevsky and Dostoevsky) in order to highlight its complexity and thus supplement and advance the existing scholarship. Drawing upon works by Chernyshevsky and Dostoevsky, I showcase different manifestations of this multi-faceted symbol, which became an embodiment of both Russian dreams and nightmares about the West. I also attempt to trace the ways in which the image of the Crystal Palace has been transformed by these two Russian writers.