"Polonsky clearly and skillfully explicates the complex process through which the Russian aesthetic renaissance passed to produce its Silver Age.... This thoughtful book provides much new information and will be useful to anyone interested in the phenomenon of cross-cultural literary influences." Choice

• List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Notes on the text; Introduction; 1. Museum people; Part I. The Barbaric Renaissance: 2. Rites of spring; 3. Balmont's Shelley and the sacred books of the East; 4. Edgar Allan Poe and the magic of words; Part II. The Aesthetic Renaissance: 5. The renaissance of the renaissance; 6. English Aestheticism and Blok's apocalypse; 7. How important it is to be serious: Oscar Wilde's popularity; 8. Kuzmin's English style; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

"Polonsky clearly and skillfully explicates the complex process through which the Russian aesthetic renaissance passed to produce its Silver Age.... This thoughtful book provides much new information and will be useful to anyone interested in the phenomenon of cross-cultural literary influences." Choice

• List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Notes on the text; Introduction; 1. Museum people; Part I. The Barbaric Renaissance: 2. Rites of spring; 3. Balmont's Shelley and the sacred books of the East; 4. Edgar Allan Poe and the magic of words; Part II. The Aesthetic Renaissance: 5. The renaissance of the renaissance; 6. English Aestheticism and Blok's apocalypse; 7. How important it is to be serious: Oscar Wilde's popularity; 8. Kuzmin's English style; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

"Polonsky clearly and skillfully explicates the complex process through which the Russian aesthetic renaissance passed to produce its Silver Age.... This thoughtful book provides much new information and will be useful to anyone interested in the phenomenon of cross-cultural literary influences." Choice

• List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Notes on the text; Introduction; 1. Museum people; Part I. The Barbaric Renaissance: 2. Rites of spring; 3. Balmont's Shelley and the sacred books of the East; 4. Edgar Allan Poe and the magic of words; Part II. The Aesthetic Renaissance: 5. The renaissance of the renaissance; 6. English Aestheticism and Blok's apocalypse; 7. How important it is to be serious: Oscar Wilde's popularity; 8. Kuzmin's English style; Afterword; Notes; Bibliography; Index.