Nikolai Gogol in Rome
The few years (1837–1846) spent by Nikolai Gogol in Rome were one of the most important periods in his work. Gogol perceived Italy as a special artistic space, as his second homeland, and as an integral part of the Russian soul. In Rome, Gogol worked intensively on Dead Souls and wrote the story Rome. Of particular interest is also Gogol’s stay in the Russian intellectual and artistic expat community, the centre of which was the Russian embassy, where Nikolai Gogol met Princess Zinaida Volkonskaya, the artist Alexander Ivanov and other figures of Russian culture.
Lecturer
Marina Samarina, Doctor of Philology, Professor at the Faculty of Philology and Head of the Department of Italian Studies at St Petersburg University. She teaches the history of the Italian language and literature and the history of Italy-Russia cultural relations. She is the author of more than 100 works on Italian studies and medieval studies. She has been awarded the Order of the Star of Italy (the Italian Republic) for her contribution to the development of Italy-Russia relations.