The Occult in Tsarist Russia

Witches had been burned at the stake in Medieval Russia, as they were throughout Europe. However by the 18th century the occult had become fashionable and spiritualist groups were common throughout Russia. Mediums and secretive societies were particularly popular during the reign of Catherine the Great. Occultists like Cagliostro ultimately ran afoul of the Empress, leading Catherine to author plays condemning the occult. But such was not the case by the end of the Romanov dynasty, when occultists such as Dr. Philippe and Rasputin wielded enormous influence. Nineteenth century literary figure such as Tolstoy, Turgenev, and Dostoevsky attended s ances, while Pushkin shared his own family's belief in ghosts. There was even an occult newsletter called The Rebus that was published for over 40 years. In The Occult in Tsarist Russia, author Thomas E. Berry offers a fascinating historical expose of this widespread and somewhat forgotten phenomenon; even providing some insight into how the occult might have ultimately influenced the decline of the Tsarist era. Dr. Thomas E. Berry is a retired Professor of Russian language and literature who lectures in the Odssey Program of Johns Hopkins University, the Smithsonian Institution and the Russian Cultural Center of the Russian Embassy, Washington DC. He was granted a "Gramota," an award for service started by Catherine the Great, by the Russian Government for promoting relations between the US and Russia. He has lectured on many cruise lines and his books are available on Amazon.com. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/ThomasEBerry

Author: Thomas E. Berry
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency, LL
Published: 01/02/2013
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.64lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.44d
ISBN13: 9781618976918
ISBN10: 1618976915
BISAC Categories:
- History | Russia & the Former Soviet Union
- Body, Mind & Spirit | Occultism
- Social Science | Sociology | General

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