A People Passing Rude: British Responses to Russian Culture

Edited by Anthony Cross, a leading authority on Anglo-Russian relations, this collection demonstrates the scope and variety of Russia’s influence on British culture. Moving from the early 1800s – when Byron sent his hero Don Juan to meet Catherine the Great, and an English critic grappled with the challenge of Pushkin – to a series of Russian-themed exhibitions at venues including Crystal Palace and Earls Court, the collection explores British encounters with Russian music, the absorption with Dostoevsky and Chekhov, and Britain’s engagement with Soviet film. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in British and Russian cultures and their complex relationship.