How Russia Shaped the Modern World: From Art to Anti-Semitism, Ballet to Bolshevism Book

I purchased, "How Russia Shaped the Modern World" at the New York Public Library's stunning exhibit on "Russia Engages the World." The show covered Russia primarily in the 17th and 18th century so I thought I'd take a leap forward and read this book.

"Russia" covers a lot of ground including subjects ranging from anarchism to painting and shows the impact of Russian ideas on authors in the United States as well as dictators in Africa. Frequently, I found myself wanting more from a discussion about an artist or a movement but the purpose of the book is to chart influences and make connections not to detail specific movements and individuals. Russia is unique in that it brings together both European and Asian influences commingling the foreign with the familiar that is so intriguing to cultures around the world.

I found the book most compelling when it looked at Russian literature, dance and painting. There are several reasons for this. First, the arts are full of hope, originality, vision and joy. Second, the story of how Russian artists influenced the rest of the world is unfamiliar to me. Third, Russia's political influence has been largely harsh, destructive, sad and all too familiar to someone who lived through the cold war.

The prose style is more analytic than descriptive and incisive but not personal. I think it fits the subject matter but borders on the dry side. My biggest complaint is that the book could have been divided into two sections, one that focused on the Russian artistic contributions and the other on the political. The impact of each of those areas is different and would have benefited from separate but rigorous analysis.