The Sistine Madonna by Grossman

from The Slavic Literature Pod · host The Slavic Literature Pod

Show Notes:Matt and Cameron have finished reading Stalingrad, but they aren’t yet done with Grossman. This week, they tackle his short story “The Sistine Madonna.” Written before the publication of Stalingrad and after he began to write Life and Fate, “The Sistine Madonna” is a piece about beauty, desperation, and hope for the future. Oh, and thermonuclear war. It covers a lot of ground. Grab your Bibles to track the religious analogies and tune in!Major themes: Non-religious Christianity, Aesthetic anti-Sovietism, Eternal Beauty03:49 - Okay, I was close, but the beer is actually called “St. Pauli”06:03 - Nicaragua, I mean8:09 - Check out The Sistine Madonna here08:56 - “The Sistine Madonna” by Vasily Grossman10:19 - I have once again switched Stalin and JFK’s death date, as I am want to do. Stalin died in 1953.The music used in this episode was “soviet march,” by Toasted Tomatoes. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and Youtube.Buy this book with our affiliate links on ⁠Bookshop⁠ or ⁠Amazon⁠!Our links: Website | ⁠Discord⁠ Socials: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠FacebookAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What this episode covers

Show Notes: Matt and Cameron have finished reading Stalingrad, but they aren’t yet done with Grossman. This week, they tackle his short story “The Sistine Madonna.” Written before the publication of Stalingrad and after he began to write Life and Fate, “The Sistine Madonna” is a piece about beauty, desperation, and hope for the future. Oh, and thermonuclear war. It covers a lot of ground. Grab your Bibles to track the religious analogies and tune in! Major themes: Non-religious Christianity, Aesthetic anti-Sovietism, Eternal Beauty 03:49 - Okay, I was close, but the beer is actually called “St. Pauli” 06:03 - Nicaragua, I mean 8:09 - Check out The Sistine Madonna here 08:56 - “The Sistine Madonna” by Vasily Grossman 10:19 - I have once again switched Stalin and JFK’s death date, as I am want to do. Stalin died in 1953. Buy this book with our affiliate links on ⁠Bookshop⁠ or ⁠Amazon⁠! Our links: ⁠All links⁠ | ⁠PATREON⁠ | ⁠Merch⁠ | ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ | ⁠Discord⁠ Socials: ⁠TikTok⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ The music used in this episode was “soviet march,” by Toasted Tomatoes. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and Youtube. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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The Sistine Madonna by Grossman

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This episode is 40 minutes long.

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This episode was published on November 4, 2022.

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