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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where do the Russians march against?

2. What happens to the son Elena bore?

3. Why does Yanka kill Peter?

4. What is the Russian government like in 1662?

5. What happens while Boris is away on the campaign?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Stephen die?

2. What kind of political alliance does Milei suggest, and why does this injure Yanka?

3. Describe Yanka's interactions with Peter.

4. Describe the setting and story being told when the story shifts to 1237.

5. Describe the controversy over the icons in Russka.

6. Who are the Raskolniki?

7. How have conditions changed by 1066 AD?

8. What problem is Boris Bobrov having with his estate and how does he solve it?

9. What has changed since the scenes set in 180 AD?

10. Describe the political state of Russia in 1262.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How would you say Rutherfurd defines the Russian character? How does he distinguish it from other nations' character? What contradictions does he describe in the Russian character?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the importance of change in "Russka". Does the novel describe long-term development? Does it describe the unfolding of a national personality over 1,800 years? How does it treat that historical personality?

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of the author based on his style and content. What values does he hold dear? What are his hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think he is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

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