V.K. Kantor. Love for the double. The myth and reality of Russian culture

Abstract

The book of Kantor begins with a topic that sets the tone for all the author’s further discussions about Russian history and the peculiarities of Russian culture — he talks about the illusions that form the basis of our perception of the world around us (both natural and social). Those who are well aware of Kantor’s previous books, which contain very clear and convincing criticisms of common stereotypes in understanding our cultural past, might think that the new book will deal with the same thing. However, this conclusion will not be entirely correct, despite the fact that this topic is indeed present in the text. V.K. Kantor goes even further towards criticizing traditional opinions that lead us away from an adequate understanding of the history and culture of Russia and Europe over the past two centuries.