Lectures are in the Play House: 10.45 for morning members: 13.30 for afternoon members.

10 December 2020

Grandfather Frost and the Old New Year: Russian Christmas

By Rosamund Bartlett

This seasonal lecture involves us imagining ourselves speeding along in a troika, bells ringing as we arrive home in snowy Russia from a church service celebrating the end of the 40 day Christmas fast. We explore the traditional religious and folk customs associated with Christmas in Russia at different times; before the Revolution, during the time of Peter the Great, the changes introduced by Stalin and what Christmas means to Russians today.

About the speaker

Rosamund Bartlett has a doctorate from Oxford University and has held senior university posts. She specialises in comparative study of art, music and literature and has written several books including biographies of Tolstoy and Chekhov. She regularly lectures in Russian cultural history and broadcasts on the BBC.