"Ecstasy, witchcraft, bewilderment-these ten loving vignettes on scandalous corners of Russian culture, by one of our most seasoned cultural critics, are a tribute to imperishable art even in our catastrophic time."-Caryl Emerson, Professor Emerita of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Princeton UniversityIn terms of literature, music, and film, it would be hard to outdo the sheer genius and cre…