Booklist Review

In his previous books, Lincoln, an acclaimed Russian historian, concentrated on the sort of political subjects scholars of his ilk usually focus on, dynasties and wars; but the ever-evolving state of artistic expression in Russia has long intrigued him, so here he gives it his full attention. Beginning with Old Russia, where art and faith were inextricably intertwined, Lincoln moves grandly forward into the secular revolutions of the two "Greats," Peter and Catherine, the Romantic era, the backlash of realism, the optimistic avant-garde, and finally, tragically, the Soviet era when artists became criminals. The range, degree of detail, and narrative polish Lincoln achieves is nothing short of astonishing as he covers every artistic front from a variety of perspectives and reveals the dynamic interaction among all art forms and their profound effects on society, profiling, in the process, a pantheon of writers, painters, composers, dancers, and architects. Here are perspicacious considerations of Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tsvetaeva, and Brodsky; Repin, Goncharova, and Male-vich; Pavlova and Diaghilev; Prokofiev and Shostakovich, and dozens of others--all the creative personalities that have defined, celebrated, and mourned Russia's soul. --Donna Seaman