Alisa Arkhangelskaya (Canada/Russian Federation)

I was born in Siberia and grew up between the mountains and the sea in Vancouver, Canada. My bilingual upbringing kindled a fascination with cross-cultural literary exchange. Having just completed my Bachelor of Arts in English and History at Queen’s University, I am excited to continue my literary education here at Oxford.

Reading towards the MSt in English (1830-1914), my primary research interests revolve around the role of Russia within the Western imagination and literary canon. Outside of my studies, I enjoy hiking, drawing, and bird-watching.

One of my favourite birds is the Eurasian bullfinch, which is round and red, with beady black eyes. As I remember my childhood in Siberia, I recall the little red birds swirling amidst the snow and my grandfather's bookshelf, where a bust of Lenin drowns in a sea of international authors. Despite political censorship, it seems that books permeate through national boundaries like voices from foreign lands.
 

My proposed research at Oxford explores such transnational literary exchange: in particular, how Lewis Carroll’s 1867 trip to Russia influenced Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. More generally, I argue that the Looking-Glass World imitates the dichotomous conception of Russia in the Victorian imagination, one that is neither European nor “Oriental”—a land that is simultaneously similar and dissimilar to Britain. I believe that my research will offer a new paradigm for analysing a globally beloved classic by emphasising the human necessity and historical pervasiveness of cultural interplay—a pertinent topic in light of contemporary national isolationism and the resurgence of state-controlled literature.
 

As I start my degree at Oxford, I remember the little red bird. The song of the bullfinch can be heard from Spain to Manchuria, yet our voices are bound to nation and language. I hope to sing further than that.