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City of Thieves

City of Thieves. By David Benioff. Benioff is a Hollywood screenplay writer and novelist. Screen adaptation of The Kite Runner Troy X-men Origins: Wolverine The Game of Thrones He wrote the book after a series of conversations with his grandfather.

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City of Thieves

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  1. City of Thieves By David Benioff

  2. Benioff is a Hollywood screenplay writer and novelist. • Screen adaptation of The Kite Runner • Troy • X-men Origins: Wolverine • The Game of Thrones • He wrote the book after a series of conversations with his grandfather. • His grandfather was born in Russia and survived World War II • He turned the interviews into City of Thieves David Benioff

  3. Begins when Germany invades Poland in 1939 • France and Great Britain declare war on Germany • Russia made a pact to stay out of the war. • However, in 1941, Germany invades Russia • Fighting a war on two fronts has never been a smart idea – especially in winter! World War II

  4. World War II Map

  5. Was originally built by Emperor Peter the Great as St. Petersburg • He wanted a port to Europe • He wanted a European city • Very cultural: ballet, opera, poetry, literary cafes • After the Russian Revolution, the city was renamed Leningrad • In 1992 it reverted to its original name. Leningrad

  6. The city was virtually surrounded by the Germans • The siege began on September 8, 1941 • Most women and children were evacuated • Life in the city was desperate: almost no food • The siege did not end until January 27, 1944, almost 900 days later • It is estimated that 1.5 million people died • Aerial bombardment • Shelling • Starvation The Siege of Leningrad

  7. A video by a Russian news agency commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Siege of Leningrad: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYKM2dvpxks Video

  8. Lev Beniov: the protagonist • 17 years old. • His mother and brother have evacuated Leningrad. • His father was “disappeared” by the NKVD • Kolya: the sidekick • Nikolai AlexandrovichVlasov • 20 years old • a deserter from the Red Army • Colonel Grechko: the catalyst • Gives Lev and Kolya a quest • He works for the NKVD, the secret police Characters

  9. “Piter” is the nickname for Leningrad (from “St. Petersburg”) • “The Crosses” is a notorious Leningrad prison • The Kirov Apartment building, a huge block of flats, where Lev lives Settings

  10. Kolya loves literature and music, so there are many allusions to famous pieces of Russian literature and music • Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin • Dmitri Shostakovich, a famous pianist • Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina) • The Courtyard Hound, by Ushakovo (this may be a fictional author and novel) • José Raul Capablanca: a famous chess player from Cuba Allusions

  11. Russians always have three names • Their Christian or given name (Nikolai) • Their patronymic, derived from their father’s name • Their family name • Mikhail RomanovichAdamovich (Michael son of Robert McAdam “son of Adam”) • Ekaterina KharalovnaEstefanidesa Names in Russian

  12. The patronymic is based on the father’s first name • ich is added to a for a male child (Alexandrovich) • Aevna/ovna is added for a female child (Alexandrovna) • It is considered very proper in Russian to address someone by their Christian name and their patronymic: • Nikolai Alexandrovich, kakzhivyosh? (How are you?) Patronymics

  13. The last name is usually an adjective • Thus, the woman’s name usually ends in –a or – ya • E.g., Anna Arkadyevna Karenina • Анна Аркадьевна Каренина • Can you figure out what your full Russian name would be? The Last name

  14. Much of the language is raw and sexual • Soldiers don’t speak in beautifully rhymed verse • They are used to seeing horrible images • Their speech is raw, sexual, direct, insulting Language

  15. Benioff, David. Wikpedia. Benioff, David, http://www.rsanews.com/craig-ferguson-choice-award-sarandon-greek/ “The Second World War: The European Theatre” http://olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_maps.php “The Winter Palace on Palace Square in St. Petersburg” http://www.guildtravel.com/citybreaks/visa-free-cruise-from-helsinki-to-st-petersburg/ The Siege of Leningrad. Wikipedia. “The Siege of Leningrad.” http://hommushistory.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/the-siege-of-leningrad/ “Diorama of the Siege of Leningrad” http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/diorama-of-the-siege-of-leningrad/3667584 “NevskyProspekt during the Siege of Leningrad.” http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5970 “Soldiers of the Red Army.” http://bio.bwbs.de/bwbs_biografie/Siege_of_Leningrad_broken_B1144.html “Soviet Soldiers – Red Army – Leningrad Siege” http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/3935356298_f40447ac77.jpg Bibliography

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