Face of Russia

In The Face of Russia, the renowned scholar James H. Billington explains how Russia's rich tradition of art, spirituality, and culture has affected the country's political processes and its struggle toward democracy. Through profiles of Russia's supreme practitioners of art and culture, Billington has identified a recurring pattern in the Russian creative process.First the Russians take over a new form of creative enterprise from a more advanced foreign civilization. Second, having acquired the new medium of expression, the Russians produce stunningly original, ambitious works, re-creating the art form. Then, having raised the art form to a new level, the Russians cast in down and break it apart, leaving only fragments for future generations.In exploring these cycles of explosive creativity leading to destruction, we may discover what the legacy of Russian art and culture portends for the future of Russia's political institutions.Billington, James H. is the author of 'Face of Russia', published 1999 under ISBN 9781575000893 and ISBN 157500089X.