Marina Alexandrova

Born and raised in Saratov, Russia, Marina Alexandrova received her MA in English from Saratov State University, and her PhD in Comparative Literature (Russian and Spanish American Literatures) from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation analyzes the formation of the literary public spheres in Russia and Argentina, focusing on the avant-garde literary groups and their complex interactions with the state.

Voted "Texas 10" most popular UT-Austin professors in 2019, Dr. Alexandrova teaches a variety of courses on Russian history, culture, and language. Her current research interests include international modernism and avant-garde (1870s-1920s), Russian radical and revolutionary movements, spirituality in Imperial Russia, and, most recently, cultural and spiritual ties between Russia and the United States. Her recent Signature Course, UGS 303 "Tsars and Mystics," examines (un)Orthodox spiritual practices and unusual confessors of Russian rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas II.

She has directed and produced two plays with her students of "Advanced Russian through Drama," Vladimir Mayakovsky's controversial comedy "Bedbug" (1928) in 2018 and Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" (1895) in 2019, partly supported by a grant from Experiential Learning Initiative. In 2018, Dr. Alexandrova worked with Austin Shakespeare Company on their innovative production of Anton Chekhov's play "The Seagull." In 2019, she was the dramaturg for Penfold Theatre's production of "Crime and Punishment." As part of her mission of fostering greater awareness of Russian literature and culture, she co-taught a course on Dostoevsky's "Notes from the Underground" at Travis County Correctional Complex for Inside Literature.

Dr. Alexandrova has given numerous talks and presentations in English and Russian about Helena Blavatsky's life and works, Theosophical movement in Russia and abroad, and Russian Imperial history. Dr. Alexandrova is currently working on a monograph about Blavatsky's vision of India.