"This collection of essays by leading Western and Russian specialists contains new insights into and updates previous research on the role of women in Russian culture in the last two centuries, and contributes to two exciting and growing research areas: the feminist critique of work by Russian male authors and the study of Russian women writers. Moreover, whereas most previous studies have concentrated on the aesthetic qualities of works by women writers, this collection includes both close textual analysis and the discussion of biographical, historical, and political questions relating both to the representation of women and women's culture. The aim is not to present a unified manifesto, but rather to bring together a spectrum of approaches and positions within their common focus on the relationship between women and culture in Russia."--BOOK JACKET.