A pageant of Spanish studies in Russia, or Astonishing interconnections

Abstract

   This review is concerned with the collection of essays A Book of Discoveries [Kniga otkrytiy], published by Tsentr Knigi Rudomino in 2021. The reviewer focuses her analysis on several texts that appeal to her personally. She describes the discovery made by the art historian Svetlana Zagorskaya, who ensured the return of de Ribera’s and Murillo’s paintings to the Hermitage; Natalia Kharitonova’s historical-biographical study; and Vsevolod Bagno’s historical and literary critical research on Russian Lullism. The scholar also emphasizes the relevance and thoroughness of Yulia Obolenskaya’s study of the Russian playwright A. Ostrovsky. In addition to the detailed and informative essays, the book boasts exceptional visual design. The reviewer concludes that A Book of Discoveries is a landmark publication for Spanish studies in Russia and will be of interest to scholars as well as anyone who wishes to learn more about Spanish art, history, and literature, or Spanish-Russian cross-cultural influences.