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ıHow did a country with such a tormented past bring such stunning works of art into being?ı Americaıs leading Russian historian, W. Bruce Lincoln, finds answers in a land uniquely suspended between East and West, past and future, sacred and secular, and in its suppressed artistsı creative search for identity and inner freedom under tyranny. Examining Russiaıs masterpieces through the prism of its social and political history, Between Heaven and Hell synthesizes accounts of music, painting, architecture, literature, iconography, ballet, and cinema into a gripping saga. Transforming exhaustive archival research into a passionate story, this gorgeously illustrated volume brims with the silent mysteries of Byzantine Christianity, the dazzling Imperial splendor of the czars, and the poignant return of brutalized exiles to their homelands. The roster of artistsıPushkin, Tolstoy, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Kandinsky, Pavlova, Chagall, Pasternakıcarries straight through to the contemporary ordeals of Solzhenitsyn and Brodsky. A fabulous gift for Russophiles, history buffs, and connoisseurs of all the arts, Between Heaven and Hell shows how the collision of social contradictions, imported art forms, and creative genius gave birth to the quintessential Russian experience.

"Lincoln...presents a grand synthesis of Russia's artistic life in an effort to illuminate the ongoing struggles that paved the road to that country's enduring masterpieces. Lincoln's densely footnoted history will be welcomed by those seeking a comprehensive overview of Russian arts. But those seeking deeper insight or a new interpretation of Russian artistic life will be disappointed."

Kirkus, 01/01/1998

"...Lincoln, the author of such valuable histories as 'The Romanovs', has clearly done epic research for this book, which, once it settles down, especially in its treatment of the 19th and 20th centuries, has both good anecdotes and good insights."

Richard Lourie, New York Times Book Review, 04/05/1998

Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of a Thousand Years of Artistic Life in Russia: Search Results