The idea of Russia: the life and work of Dmitry Likhachev - 8

Dmitry Likhachev (1906-1999) was one of the most prominent Russian intellectuals of the 20th century.

His life spanned virtually the entire century - a tumultuous period which saw Russia move from Tsarist rule under Nicholas II via the Russian Revolution and Civil War into seven decades of communism followed by Gorbachev's Perestroika and the rise of Putin.

In 1928, shortly after completing his university education, Likhachev was arrested, charged with counter-revolutionary ideas and imprisoned in the Gulag, where he spent the next five years.

Returning to a career in academia, specialising in Old Russian literature, Likhachev played a crucial role in the cultural life of 20th-century Russia, campaigning for the protection of important cultural sites and historic monuments.

Vladislav Zubok provides a thoroughly-researched account of one of Russia's most extraordinary and influential public figures.