An investigation of several social, cultural and artistic themes and of the Russian people themselves, and "an exploration of the ancient roots and subsequent transformations of their cultural history."
Includes bibliographical references and index
1. Rus as Land and People. Rus and Rossiya. Rus as Land: Its Characteristics. The Human Landscape. Wooden Russia -- 2. Rus as People and as State. The East Slavs. The Origins of Rus. The People and Government of Rus. The Service State. Aftermath -- 3. Belief Systems. Introductory. Russian 'Paganism' and Folk Belief. The Coming of Christianity. Christianized Rus and 'Double Belief'. Holy Rus and the Orthodox World. Russian Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy. Sects and Schism. Beyond the Schism -- 4. 'Let us Join Word to Word'. Russian Traditional Literature. Some Individual Works. Traditional and Modern Russian Literature -- 5. Iconic Russia. Folk Creativity. The Iconic World. Art and Architecture in Rus. Icons and the 'Modern Movement'. Symbolic Landscapes