The Representation of Duelling in Russian Culture: A Gender Studies Analysis

This thesis, written from a feminist perspective, examines the institution of duelling to discuss the nature of masculinity in contemporary Russia. This thesis is not a historical account of the duel in Russia; rather, it is a critical analysis of how cultural representations of the duel at specific moments in the 21st century reveals toxic masculinity in action. This contributes to the existing literature by reframing duelling as an expression of the senseless violence characteristic of toxic masculinity, contrasting with earlier studies that have portrayed it as a noble act enabling personal autonomy within the hierarchical state of tsarist Russia (Reyfman, 1999). This thesis is limited to texts available in English translation or with English subtitles, as the author does not speak Russian. Overall, the thesis contends that Russia’s valuing of a strong, militaristic form of masculinity requires rigorous investigation. While other students and scholars may be inspired and encourage when reading it to add their own contributions and fill any missing gaps, based on the existing work this thesis concludes that duelling and masculinity in Russian culture are entangled in one another in mutually reinforcing ways, and that the practices, language, and imagery of duelling are evidence of masculinity in perpetual crisis.