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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. What does Nicolai try to find?

2. What happens in the duel between Sergei and Pinegin?

3. Who does Alexander see visit the Suvorin house?

4. What is Nicolai's relation with Misha?

5. Who does Dmitri find Vladimir naked with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Nicolai's discussion with Popov on the train to Moscow.

2. What was Tsar Peter's plan for modernizing Russia?

3. What role do Madame Adelaide de Ronville's salons play in Russka?

4. What is the relationship between Alexander Bobrov and the Suvorins?

5. When the narrative resumes in 1827, what trouble is Sergei having?

6. Describe Savva Suvorin's arrival in Moscow.

7. Describe Popov's subversive activities.

8. What is Mrs. Suvorin's relationship with Popov?

9. What happens to the Jews in Russia after 1881?

10. What does Savva Suvorin do after he is freed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered?

Essay Topic 2

What is the price of historical progress as Russia develops from the 1600s to the 1900s? What is gained? What is given up, or lost? For example, is brutality the price of progress, as under Tsar Peter? Was culture lost as Russia Westernized?

Essay Topic 3

What contemporary cultural problems or cultural questions does "Russka" shed light on? What questions about an ongoing cultural situation does "Russka" help you understand?

(see the answer keys)

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