This research examines the life and thoughts of Ivan Ilin during his life in Berlin between 1922 and 1938. The goal was to re-connect Ivan Ilin with his historical context. This was performed by...Show moreThis research examines the life and thoughts of Ivan Ilin during his life in Berlin between 1922 and 1938. The goal was to re-connect Ivan Ilin with his historical context. This was performed by comparing Ilin to his environment by analysing his reaction to the trends and ideas which developed in the Russian emigrant community in Berlin. By doing this, this thesis challenges the currently established vision on political ideas and legacy of Ivan Ilin.Show less
The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought vast changes to the inhabitants of Petrograd. However it is questionable whether for most people the political changes themselves were tangible or even...Show moreThe Russian Revolution in 1917 brought vast changes to the inhabitants of Petrograd. However it is questionable whether for most people the political changes themselves were tangible or even relevant. By using contemporary approaches to the history of everyday life, this study investigates the issue of everyday problems and coping mechanisms in Petrograd during the revolution. It switches the perspective to that of people who were not involved in revolutionary politics: the Russian-English novelist and historian Edith Almedingen (1898-1971) and the Russian poet Zinaida Hippius (1869-1945). The thesis shows that Hippius, Almedingen, and the persons they observed used a broad array of strategies. Regardless of the concrete coping mechanisms, everything boiled down to personal and collective survival. The comparison between the two women suggests that ‘objective’ circumstances such as social background and possessions did not fully determine how well people coped with challenges.Show less
