Father Sergius by Tolstoy

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Show Notes

Cameron goes on a tangent about Spain between 4:32 and 9:02 so…feel free to skip that part if you want, it has no bearing on the episode.

This week, Matt and Cameron jump back into Russia’s past with an exploration of one of Tolstoy’s later works, "Father Sergius." In this piece, Tolstoy explores his own version of hagiography - or the telling of a Saint’s Life - with all his usual flair and strong opinion. He is also uncomfortably horny in his writing. Have fun with that!

Major themes: Tolstoy Horny on Main, Saint’s Lives, The History of the Alhambra

08:32 - This is true.

34:56 - “Hagiographical Motifs in Tolstoy’s 'Father Sergius'” by Margaret Ziolkowski

37:50 - “The Apophthegmata Patrum and Tolstoy’s Father Sergius” by Harry Walsh and Paul Alessi

53:08 - “Yeltsin drunk. In his underwear. Hailing a cab.”

54:38 - "The Polykhaevs" by Pavel Nilin

The music used in this episode was “soviet march,” by Toasted Tomatoes. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and YouTube.