Between Heaven and Hell: Myths and Memories of Siberia

For centuries, Siberia was a transitory space for Eastern nomads and Western adventures. Colonized by the Russian empire in the 16-17th centuries, Siberia became a land of valuable commodities. Traders and hunters were followed by political dissidents, religious radicals, and criminals. Siberia became the ultimate place of exile. And yet it is much more than prison-writ-large. Using diverse sources, the course presents multiple Siberias: from the Siberia of reindeer people, indigenous storytellers, and shamans to the Siberia of the empire's Cossacks and nobility; from the Siberia of labor camps to the Siberia of today's oil and gas giants.