Slavic Bazaar 2026

SLAVIC BAZAAR SCHEDULE 2026

 

9:30-10:00am | Welcome and Coffee

 

10:00-11:00 | Panel 1: Ethics and Aesthetics in Literature and Art

In the World of Their Creation: An Analysis of Doctor Zhivago and “The Snake Charmer”

Morgan Emery

This paper compares Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago and Varlam Shalamov’s short story “The Snake Charmer,” investigating how both stories explore questions about historical trauma and the relationship of art to this trauma. Doctor Zhivago suggests that art can be used to metaphorically escape the difficulties of historical trauma, but also that this escape cannot be permanent. Somewhat similarly, “The Snake Charmer” suggests that, while art can be used to metaphorically escape the difficulties of life in camp, this escape comes at the cost of one’s physical (and perhaps also mental) stamina. Ultimately, the comparison of these two works demonstrates that, in the view of these authors, art may only temporarily allow escape from historical trauma in the moment of that trauma (especially for the creator of that art), but art also has the potential to inspire future generations. This analysis provides a new perspective on two different works of Soviet art, showing how some Soviet art conceptualized its own significance.

Positive and Negative Freedom During and After the Great Purge

Azzaya Galsandum

In this paper, the characters of the novels Cancer Ward and Sofia Petrovna are examined using Isaiah Berlin’s definitions of positive and negative freedom. The difference between freedoms here lies in the consistency in one’s thoughts and one’s actions. Cancer Ward takes place during the beginning of the thaw, while Sofia Petrovna is set during the  Great Purge – one shows the aftermath and damage done, while the latter shows the immediate and direct damage. In Cancer Ward, Oleg Filimonovich Kostoglotov and Aleksey Filippovich Shulubin can be compared directly in how they have lived under an era of surveillance. Kostoglotov, though an exile, displays the characteristics of one who has  positive freedom despite being physically constrained. In contrast, Shulubin has negative freedom as once a man who was at the front of the revolution and a professor to now simply a librarian with a “specially humiliating, specially offensive” cancer filled with fear. Similar to Shulubin, Sofia Petrovna Lipatova of Sofia Petrovna lives as one with negative  freedom, but in her novel, readers are shown her descent into madness with this disconnect between thought and reality. This paper interprets the characters of these novels using the different definitions of freedom in order to examine how having these freedoms affects the lives they lived. The direct results of these freedoms can relate to the fates  these characters have: Kostoglotov’s life of moral exceptionalism, Shulubin living in humiliation, and Sofia Petrovna’s loss of self and mind. I go further in depth into how one uses the two types of freedom to examine the thoughts and actions of the characters of these novels.

Colors of Desire and Suffering: A Shared Symbolic Language in European Art and Literature

Natalie Vihodet

This paper asks: how can two works separated by over four centuries—a Renaissance painting and a twentieth-century Eastern European novel—use color in strikingly similar ways to represent human desire and suffering? Focusing on Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1500) and Miloš Crnjanski’s Migrations (1929), I investigate  whether these similarities reflect universal human experience or historically specific cultural influences. Using a semiotic approach, I analyze color as a system of signs that conveys meaning within particular cultural contexts. The paper focuses on two key colors, yellow and blue, examining their historical production, symbolic associations in Christian art,  and usage within each work. I combine close visual and textual analysis with research on pigment history and the spread of religious symbolism through trade and cultural exchange across Europe. The analysis finds that both Bosch and Crnjanski use yellow to signify betrayal, moral corruption, and entrapment, while blue represents hope,  transcendence, and the painful acquisition of knowledge. In both works, these colors are tied to narratives in which human pursuit of desire leads to suffering and disillusionment. The consistency of these meanings suggests not a universal human nature, but a shared symbolic framework shaped by centuries of Christian tradition and transregional  exchange. 

This paper concludes that aesthetic similarities across European art and literature reflect interconnected cultural histories rather than isolated national traditions. By tracing how meaning travels through materials, religion, and artistic practice, the project highlights the importance of Eastern Europe within broader European cultural networks and  challenges fixed boundaries between “center” and “periphery.”

11:00-11:10 | Break

11:10-11:55am | Panel 2: Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment

The Dialectics of Suffering in Crime and Punishment

Jasper Platt

Crime and Punishment’s epilogue has often been criticized for concluding the novel with too abrupt of a theological insertion in a way that potentially undermines Raskolnikov’s character. This paper takes the line “dialectics had given way to life” from that very epilogue as a jumping off point to read Crime and Punishment through a dialectic lens that  reconciles this abrupt conclusion with the rest of the novel. This reading enables the emergence of a framework for understanding Dostoevsky’s spiritual metaphysics that has implications on both personal and societal levels. The dialectic mechanism present here underpins not only the schism within Raskolnikov’s psyche and his ultimate path to  redemption, but a broaderview of alienation and the possibility for spiritual brotherhood within western and Russian society as a whole. 

Drawing on my reading of both Crime and Punishment and Winter Notes on Summer Impressions, I trace the origin of this dialectic to the contradiction between self and other as inherently separate beings and examine the question of whether value is to be found in one extreme of rational egoism (Svidrigailov) or in the other of selfless compassion  (Sonya). In the character of Raskolnikov, who contains both extremes, this contradiction is resolved through the selfless bearing of suffering. I argue that the universality of the contradiction between self and other is what enables identification with the other and thus the creation of genuine human connection. This dialectic mechanism points toward an  ideal of universal brotherhood that naturally resolves the contradiction of self and other by embodying both at the same time. Read in conjunction with Winter Notes, the epilogue of Crime and Punishment suggests that this ideal is achievable only through the complete giving of the self — an action possible only from a place of true despair.

Dynamis and Sophia: Reason and Faith in Crime and Punishment

Leo Fiore

There is already a significant body of literature on how Crime and Punishment parallels or otherwise alludes to the Bible, particularly with regard to reading the plot as a “Modern Gospel” and the characters as substitutes for biblical characters. This paper builds on this existing work but identifies a passage from 1 Corinthians 1 as a framework for  understanding the dynamics of faith and reason in the novel. It draws comparisons between Paul’s temporal wisdom and Dostoevsky’s depictions of Hegelianism and psychoanalysis, and between Paul’s divine wisdom (Sophia) and Dostoevsky’s Sofya Semyonovna. With these wisdom-concepts of reason and faith in the novel established, the paper then  undertakes to explain their relationships to strength (Dynamis). I argue that Dostoevsky understood westernizing tendencies in Russian thought—as represented in the beginning by Raskolnikov and the state pursuing him—as an ultimate thief of idealism, offering the phantom of strength, but incapable of even generating a solution to the crimes it itself  creates. My analysis suggests that the novelist understood humility before and faith in his god—as represented by Sonya— as the ultimate strength in a very perilous and very real world.

11:55-12:05 | Break

12:05 - 12:20pm | Poetry Reading with Student Translations

“100%” by Vladimir Mayakovsky

Natalie Vihodet

“5. Lyrical Chimera” by Attila Mohylyny; “Four in the morning” by Wisława Szymborska; “Oh frivolity! Sweetest sin…” by Marina Tsvetaeva

Daria Knurenko

12:20-12:50pm | Lunch

12:50-1:50pm | Keynote Lecture

A Theory of Colonialism from East European Improvisation

Asher Maria

In this talk, I pose the questions: What does Eastern Europe have to do with European colonial empires in the Americas? What can scholars of Eastern Europe contribute to a discussion of the history and effects of European colonialism in a place like Brazil, for instance? To begin, I provide an overview of how scholarship in Slavic studies has sought to  conceptualize coloniality in Eurasia, and how these conditions compare to the Americas. I then examine texts from East European settlers to Brazil in the early twentieth century to demonstrate how the reproduction of trans-Atlantic colonialism is deterritorialized and then improvised. The mechanisms of this deterritorialization and improvisation are  demonstrated through a close reading of three works: the Ukrainian- Brazilian newspaper Praca (1912-1926), Józef Stańczewski’s Szymon Kosynier: Wielki Bohater Parański (1923), and Stasys Jonas Jokubka’s On the Brazilian Plantations (1962). I end with a discussion of how these insights may be valuable for other studies of small colonial history, and  propositions for other ways in which Slavic studies might contribute to colonial scholarship.

1:50-2:00 | Break

2:00-2:45pm | Panel 3: Nabokov

Morality in Nabokov’s King, Queen, Knave: The Dangers of Solipsistic Tendencies

Sonia Banker

Although scholars have devoted significant attention to Vladimir Nabokov’s English-language works, such as Lolita, Ada, and Pnin, exceedingly little has been done to address the theme of morality in his early Russian novels. Dominant for decades was the scholarly view that Nabokov was a staunch aestheticist, indifferent to themes of morality. More  recently, this perspective has shifted, as seminal studies like Ellen Pifer’s Nabokov and the Novel have begun to recontextualize his characters as ethical subjects. This paper argues Nabokov embedded moral themes within the aesthetic structures of his work, a dynamic on display in his second novel, King, Queen, Knave. I contend that the three  protagonists—Martha, Franz, and Dreyer—each exhibit a distinct form of philosophical solipsism that precipitates their eventual downfalls. By analyzing the novel philosophically, the paper proceeds to identify Martha’s active solipsism as a desire for total control, Franz’s passive solipsism as a complete loss of agency, and Dreyer’s solipsism as ignorant  and transactional. At the end of the novel, each character is met with a negative fate that serves as a proportional punishment for their specific solipsistic tendencies. Ultimately, this paper posits that King, Queen, Knave represents Nabokov’s earliest experimentation with a cohesive ethical framework defined by a correlation between vice and  consequence, one that Nabokov would later complicate and subvert in his later Russian and English works.

Form Without Feeling: The Aesthetic Limits of Chess in The Luzhin Defense

Emily Hoff

Can an art form grounded entirely in structure and logic nourish the soul of the artist? In The Luzhin Defense, Vladimir Nabokov uses chess not merely as a game or theme, but as a sustained metaphor for formalist art. This paper explores whether chess, as an aesthetic pursuit, can sustain an artistic soul or whether its expressive limitations inevitably  lead to isolation and ruin. The paper combines close textual analysis with aesthetic theory, drawing on Clive Bell’s concept of art as “significant form” and Leo Tolstoy’s definition of art as emotional transmission. It also incorporates Nabokov’s reflections on chess from Speak, Memory to contextualize the novel’s portrayal. Through analysis of recurring  usical metaphors and Luzhin’s psychological development, the paper shows that chess is presented as rigorous, patterned, and internally beautiful, yet fundamentally isolated from shared human experience. It demonstrates that while chess satisfies Bell’s criteria for art, it fails to meet Tolstoy’s standard of emotional communication. Luzhin’s aesthetic  pursuit becomes all- consuming but solipsistic: his art offers order without connection, projecting a sterile beauty that dazzles but cannot endure. As he becomes entrapped within the world of chess, his inability to translate this formal system into shared feeling leads to his psychological unraveling. 

Ultimately, Luzhin’s collapse represents the breakdown of a worldview built on pure form devoid of emotional substance. This paper concludes that Nabokov’s novel critiques formalist art, demonstrating that an intricate aesthetic system lacking empathy and expressive connection becomes an existential prison rather than a sanctuary. 

2:45-2:55 | Break

2:55- 4:10 | Panel 4: National Identity and Policy, Past and Present

Enlightenment From Above: Unique Russian Interpretations of French Enlightenment Ideas

Jose Carlos Serrano

This research analyzes primary documents from the reign of Catherine II, i.e., the Nakaz, correspondence with French Enlightenment thinkers (Voltaire, Diderot), commentary on Catherinian reforms, and secondary sources (Walicki, Kingston-Mann) to address the following oft-repeated question: Is Russia a European or Asiatic power? This paper utilizes the Russian Enlightenment – a distinct, self-contained movement — as a means to demonstrate that the Asiatic-European question is unhelpful and produces skewed conclusions. This research observes that the movement was, in addition to some initial reforms (e.g., promoting arts and letters, promotion of international trade), primarily a means to consolidate autocratic power and ambition, rather than a derivation from the French Enlightenment. Demonstrating that Russia was not simply a peripheral recipient of Enlightenment ideas but developed its own vision of “Enlightenment” with notably different intentions, this paper focuses on the development of the Russian Enlightenment vis-à-vis that of the French Enlightenment. “Enlightenment,” in Western Europe, is to be attained by oneself, i.e., throwing off the “yoke of immaturity,” as per Immanuel Kant. This contrasts the Russian claim that enlightenment comes from “above,” i.e., the autocracy. A despot is effectively “deified” and serves as the source of such enlightenment, something that  Catherine II carefully and strategically engaged with before the Pughachev Rebellion. This differentiation addresses the aforementioned question, with this research finding that such a dichotomy only does a disservice to a development that served as a distinct vehicle for strategic modernization.

Pragmatic Loyalties: Chinese Foreign Policy Regarding Russia during the War in Ukraine

Kseniya Shalanskaya.

This paper explores Sino-Russian relations during the war in Ukraine, examining China’s response to the war as pragmatic, rather than rooted in loyalty to the partnership with Russia. Although Beijing and Moscow often appear as natural allies because of shared authoritarian regimes and opposition to the West, I argue that China’s support for Russia has remained limited and conditional, attempting to balance both its allegiance and not taking on the costs associated with full alignment with Russia. The analysis draws upon a synthesis of information from primary and secondary sources including United Nations voting patterns, economic behavior during war, and officials’ statements. It compares China’s  public statements to actions–its abstentions and vetoes at the UN, shifts in abidance by trade and sanctions and material support to Russia. These examples demonstrate how China did not abandon Russia, but repeatedly set boundaries on the support it was willing to provide. Beijing repeatedly sought to preserve its ties to the West, protect its  economic interests, maintain access to Ukraine and Europe, as well as take advantage of Moscow’s increasing dependence on Beijing. The paper proposes that this policy of balancing Russia and the West could be the primary way that China conducts foreign policy: through pragmatism, not based on ideological alignment or support for the nation's  sovereignty. This paper, through its approach on building up a case on available information, could be helpful in understanding government affairs in time of war, when it is not expressed properly. In addition, it contributes to the study of Chinese foreign policy, arguing that the durability and strength of China’s alliances could be examined through  specific interests and comparisons of China’s official rhetoric and its concrete actions.

Minority Politics, Major Power: Viktor Orbán's Wartime Engagement with Transcarpathian Hungarians

Rosie Berman

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has intensified long-standing tensions in Central and Eastern Europe, increasing the significance of cross-border ethnic minorities as instruments of foreign policy. Among European leaders, Hungary's Viktor Orbán has been particularly assertive, invoking the vulnerability of co-ethnics in Transcarpathia to justify obstruction  within the European Union and NATO. Framed as a duty to protect the diaspora, his kin-state policy raises questions about whether appeals to national solidarity mask broader strategic aims. This study examines the motivations underlying Hungary's wartime engagement with Transcarpathian Hungarians, assessing three theoretical frameworks:  domestic power consolidation, norm entrepreneurship, and Russian alignment. Through process tracing from April 2010 to January 2026, the analysis links policy and rhetoric to specific causal mechanisms across three periods. A comparative case study of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia isolates factors specific to the Ukrainian context, revealing that  minority mobilization is strategically selective rather than uniformly applied. The findings suggest that Orbán's minority protection rhetoric functions less as normative commitment than as a flexible diplomatic instrument, deployed when it serves his broader political interests. The study contributes to broader debates about EU cohesion and the enduring  volatility of kin-state politics in contemporary Europe.

Between Brussels and Beijing: Hungary’s Balancing Act - An Analysis of Hungary’ s EU

Commitments amid Viktor Orban’s Eastern Opening Policy

Phoebe Martin

The paper examines the evolution of Hungary’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as a case of internal fragmentation within formally integrated Euro-Atlantic institutions. Despite Hungary’s membership in both the European Union and NATO, the Orbán government has pursued a foreign policy that challenges EU democratic norms,  undermines collective security commitments, and maintains pragmatic ties with Russia and China. The paper argues that Hungary exemplifies a strategy of selective integration: remaining institutionally embedded in Western alliances while contesting their normative foundations from within. Drawing on historical analysis, EU and NATO policy behavior,  and Hungary’s responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the paper situates this strategy within broader Eurasian dynamics of post–Cold War realignment, energy dependence, and illiberal governance. Hungary’s role as a so-called “Trojan Horse” reveals the limits of consensus- based institutions when confronted with authoritarian drift among member  states. In particular, China’s “16+1” program with Eastern Europe and the Russian Paks II nuclear power plant serve as case studies, examining trade data from both before and after Orban’s “Eastern Opening.” By combining institutional analysis with regional comparative insight, this paper contributes to discussions on EU resilience, democratic erosion,  and geopolitical entanglement. It demonstrates that fragmentation in Europe and Eurasia does not solely occur through withdrawal or rupture, but through sustained internal contestation that reshapes the meaning of integration itself.

 

https://upenn.box.com/s/rbxxglqws4hpsdr2w7pet4s41c7c2yo0