The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA), Russian American Jews in Minnesota (RAJMN), and St. Paul Jewish Federation present a virtual book discussion with Vladimir Alexandrov, author of The Black Russian – an incredible true story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves in Mississippi who became a famous impresario in pre-revolutionary Moscow and the ‘Sultan of Jazz’ in Constantinople.

February marks Black History Month in the United States, and during this virtual session, Alexandrov and TMORA’s Chief Curator Dr. Masha Zavialova will delve into Thomas’s extraordinary life and the important history surrounding his journey.  There will be an opportunity for Q&A during the program.  Please join us.

Wednesday, February 17 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM CST

This program will be presented via Zoom webinar.  |  FREE  |  Please register in advance

REGISTER

The Black Russian is available for purchase both in store and online at the Shop at TMORA

BUY THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vladimir Alexandrov received a PhD in comparative literature from Princeton.  He taught Russian literature and culture at Harvard before moving to Yale, where he is B. E. Bensinger Professor Emeritus of Slavic Languages and Literatures.

ABOUT THE BOOK

“What [Thomas’s] life illustrates, as Alexandrov skillfully and gracefully shows, is that when people are unshackled from slaveries – of whatever sort – freedom’s buoyancy can lift them to surprising heights, can offer miraculous views.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer

“With so much focus on the black experience in America in the nineteenth century, we might never consider the black experience in Europe at the same time.  Vladimir Alexandrov’s The Black Russian rectifies this oversight, and does so with panache.” – The Daily Beast

“Magnetizing and unforgettable . . . In his assiduously researched, prodigiously descriptive, fluently analytical, and altogether astonishing work of resurrection, Alexandrov provides uniquely focused accounts of racial struggles in America and decadence and bloodshed in Europe and Russia while insightfully and dynamically portraying a singular man.” – Booklist, starred review

This event is presented in partnership with RAJMN and St. Paul Jewish Federation.