Marina Alexandrova
Senior Lecturer — PhD, UT Austin
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Contact
- E-mail: marina.alexandrova@utexas.edu
- Phone: (512) 232-9193
- Office: BUR 466; utexas.zoom.us/my/marina.alexandrova
- Office Hours: SPRING 2021: Mondays, 11am-1pm, and by appointment
- Campus Mail Code: F3600
Interests
History of Political and Cultural Dissent in Russia, Russian Revolutionary Movements, International Modernism and Avant-Garde, Spirituality in Imperial Russia, Russian Intellectual History
Biography
Born and raised in Saratov, Russia, Marina Alexandrova received her MA in English from Saratov State University, and her PhD in Comparative Literature (Russian and Spanish American Literatures) from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation analyzes the formation of the literary public spheres in Russia and Argentina, focusing on the avant-garde literary groups and their complex interactions with the state.
Voted "Texas 10" most popular UT-Austin professors in 2019, Dr. Alexandrova teaches a variety of courses on Russian history, culture, and language. Her current research interests include international modernism and avant-garde (1870s-1920s), Russian radical and revolutionary movements, spirituality in Imperial Russia, and, most recently, cultural and spiritual ties between Russia and the United States. In the fall of 2020, she will teach her new UGS course, "Tsars and Mystics," examining (un)Orthodox spiritual practices and unusual confessors of Russian rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas the Bloody.
She has directed and produced two plays with her students of "Advanced Russian through Drama," Vladimir Mayakovsky's controversial comedy "Bedbug" (1928) in 2018 and Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" (1895) in 2019, partly supported by a grant from Experiential Learning Initiative. In 2018, Dr. Alexandrova worked with Austin Shakespeare Company on their innovative production of Anton Chekhov's play "The Seagull." She spoke about her experience as a dramaturg for the play in KUT's Arts Eclectic's interview. In 2019, she was the dramaturg for Penfold Theatre's production of "Crime and Punishment." As part of her mission of fostering greater awareness of Russian literature and culture, she co-taught a course on Dostoevsky's "Notes from the Underground" at Travis County Correctional Complex for Inside Literature.
Recently, Dr. Alexandrova shared her expertise in Russian Imperial history as an onscreen expert for the acclaimed docudrama The Last Czars (currently streaming on Netflix). Read her op-ed about the Romanovs and their fate in the 21st century in the magazine "Life and Letters." To hear more about Dr. Alexandrova's experiences and future plans, listen to her recent interview for The Slavic Connexion podcast.
As a visiting professor at Université Paris Nanterre during spring 2020, Dr. Alexandrova taught two graduate seminars, "Russia through American Eyes" and "The International Avant-Garde in New York." This summer she is conducting research for her book about Helena Blavatsky's legacy in Russia and the United States. Read her commentary on the controversies surrounding the publication of Blavatsky's complete works, The Unveiling of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, part of the German-Russian Research Project on New Age in late Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. Recently, she has appeared on a major Russian-language TV station RTVi discussing current political and social unrest in the United States for Russian-speaking audiences around the world. In January 2021, Dr. Alexandrova gave two interviews about Helena Blavatsky's life and works for the Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast. She is affiliated faculty with Center for Global Business.
Courses
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II-Wb
44180 • Spring 2021
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM
Internet; Synchronous
RUS 326 • Adv Russian Thru History-Wb
44205 • Spring 2021
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM
Internet; Synchronous
(also listed as RUS 380E)
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I-Wb
42765 • Fall 2020
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM
Internet; Synchronous
UGS 303 • Tsars And Mystics-Wb
62130-62140 • Fall 2020
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM
Internet; Synchronous
GC
ID
REE F325 • 24-Rebels/Rvolutn Rus Hist/Lit
82199 • Summer 2020
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:30AM
Two-way Interactive Video
GC
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
43010 • Fall 2019
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM RLP 0.122
RUS 326 • Russian Through Drama
43050 • Fall 2019
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM GAR 0.132
REE F325 • Rebels/Rvolutn Rus Hist/Lit
83480 • Summer 2019
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:30AM BIO 301
GC
(also listed as HIS F362G)
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
43850 • Spring 2019
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BUR 228
RUS 322W • Inter Russian Thru Writing
43870 • Spring 2019
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM BUR 228
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
44235 • Fall 2018
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM RLP 0.122
RUS 322C • Inter Russian Thru Convrstn
44265 • Fall 2018
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM CMA 5.190
REE F325 • Russian Food Ways
84510 • Summer 2018
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:30AM PAR 204
GCWr
(also listed as HIS F362G)
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
44415 • Spring 2018
Meets MWF 1:00PM-2:00PM CLA 0.122
RUS 326 • Russian Through Drama
44435 • Spring 2018
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM GAR 0.132
(also listed as RUS 380E)
REE 325 • Rebels/Rvolutn Rus Hist/Lit
44555 • Fall 2017
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM GEA 127
GC
(also listed as C L 323, HIS 362G)
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
44860 • Fall 2017
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BUR 214
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
44925 • Spring 2017
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BUR 228
RUS 312L • Second-Year Russian II
44935 • Spring 2017
Meets MTWTH 11:00AM-12:00PM BUR 228
REE 325 • Russian Food Ways
44535 • Fall 2016
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM GEA 127
GC
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
44840 • Fall 2016
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BUR 228
REE S325 • Rebels/Rvolutn Rus Hist/Lit
85610 • Summer 2016
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:30AM GEA 114
GC
(also listed as C L S323, HIS S362G)
REE 325 • Russian Prisons In Hist/Lit
43725 • Spring 2016
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM GEA 114
GC
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
44010 • Spring 2016
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM BUR 228
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
44060 • Fall 2015
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM CAL 419
RUS 324 • Third-Year Russian I
44085 • Fall 2015
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM GEA 127
REE 325 • Rebels/Rvolutn Rus Hist/Lit
44205 • Spring 2015
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM BUR 228
GC
(also listed as C L 323, HIS 362G, RUS 356)
RUS 507 • First-Year Russian II
44440 • Spring 2015
Meets MW 9:00AM-10:00AM BUR 128
REE 325 • Russian Food Ways
45190 • Fall 2014
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BUR 228
GC
(also listed as RUS 330)
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
45520 • Fall 2014
Meets MW 11:00AM-12:00PM BUR 128
RUS 324 • Third-Year Russian I
45530 • Fall 2014
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM BUR 128
REE 325 • Lit & Art, Rus Mod, & Av-Gard
45510 • Spring 2014
Meets MWF 1:00PM-2:00PM GEA 127
GC
(also listed as RUS 330)
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
45800 • Spring 2014
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM GEA 127
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
45560 • Fall 2013
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM PMA 6.112
RUS S356 • Rebels/Revolutnrs Rus Hist/Lit
87995 • Summer 2013
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:30AM BUR 116
GC
RUS 611C • Intensive Russian II
45135 • Spring 2013
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM PAR 308
RUS 601C • Intensive Russian I
44980 • Fall 2012
Meets MWF 11:00AM-12:00PM MEZ 1.102
RUS S412L • Second-Year Russian II
88330 • Summer 2012
Meets MTWTHF 8:30AM-10:30AM CAL 419
REE 325 • Lit & Art,Rus Modern & Av-Gard
44605 • Spring 2012
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM PAR 303
(also listed as RUS 330)
REE 325 • Rebels/Revolutnrs Rus Hist/Lit
44469 • Fall 2011
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM BEN 1.122
(also listed as RUS 356)
RUS 412K • Second-Year Russian I
44800 • Fall 2011
Meets MTWTH 11:00AM-12:00PM PAR 214
REE 325 • Rebels/Revolutnrs Rus Hist/Lit
45174 • Spring 2011
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM GAR 3.116
(also listed as C L 323, RUS 356)
RUS 412K • Second-Year Russian I
44895 • Fall 2010
Meets MTWTH 11:00AM-12:00PM CAL 323
RUS 325 • Third-Year Russian II
45845 • Spring 2010
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM BEN 1.106
RUS 324 • Third-Year Russian I
45965 • Fall 2009
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 422
RUS 324 • Third-Year Russian I
45970 • Fall 2009
Meets MWF 1:00PM-2:00PM CAL 422
RUS 412L • Second-Year Russian II
45925 • Spring 2008
Meets MW 9:00AM-10:00AM CAL 22
RUS 412L • Second-Year Russian II
45932 • Spring 2008
Meets MTWTH 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 22
RUS 412K • Second-Year Russian I
47145 • Fall 2007
Meets MTWTH 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 419
RUS 412K • Second-Year Russian I
47147 • Fall 2007
Meets MTWTH 11:00AM-12:00PM CAL 419
RUS 412L • Second-Year Russian II
45730 • Spring 2007
Meets MTWTH 8:00AM-9:00AM CAL 419
RUS 412K • Second-Year Russian I
46955 • Fall 2006
Meets MTWTH 9:00AM-10:00AM CBA 4.340
RUS 507 • First-Year Russian II
45000 • Spring 2006
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 419
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
45050 • Fall 2005
Meets MTWTHF 12:00PM-1:00PM CAL 221
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
45055 • Fall 2005
Meets MTWTHF 1:00PM-2:00PM CAL 419
RUS 507 • First-Year Russian II
43530 • Spring 2005
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 419
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
44515 • Fall 2004
Meets MTWTHF 9:00AM-10:00AM CAL 422
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
44535 • Fall 2004
Meets MTWTHF 1:00PM-2:00PM WEL 3.266
RUS 507 • First-Year Russian II
41765 • Spring 2004
Meets MTWTHF 1:00PM-2:00PM UTC 4.120
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
42960 • Fall 2003
Meets MTWTHF 9:00AM-10:00AM CAL 422
RUS 506 • First-Year Russian I
42965 • Fall 2003
Meets MTWTHF 10:00AM-11:00AM CAL 419
Professional Organizations and Service
Dr. Alexandrova is an active member of major professional associations, including the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies and American Academy of Religion. She has served as a book review editor for Humanities and Social Sciences Online (H-Net) H-Eurasia-Food network, dedicated to the history, culture, and politics of food and drink in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. Dr. Alexandrova is the departmental representative for Language Policy Advisory Committee at the University of Texas at Austin. Her most recent contribution to University-wide initiatives is participation in the Cultural Interviews with International Business Executives, created with support from UT's Center for Global Business.