ABSTRACT
After a brief historic overview, this chapter connects the historical context of public Russian duelling to toxic masculinity by using examples from the past (Tolstoy and Turgenev) and present (such as when Victor Zolotov challenged Alexi Navalny to a duel). I shall also discuss how, at least in one instance, the history of duelling is used as a metaphor to describe contemporary Russian dating. While more complete compilations of duelling history exist (Reyfman, Ritualized Violence Russian Style, 1999), this chapter attempts to analyse older duels in new ways, as well as analysing more contemporary Russian examples of duelling. Duels are clearly not always enacted by the honour code in contemporary Russia, and include everything from verbal exchanges to fistfights. That being said, the myth of the Russian duellist persists, and still appears desirable to modern-day women in some ways.
