Yes, Stewart, I was aware of that Woolf (1882-1941) was about as ancient as Berberova (1901-1993). I'll be reading
South of the River when I've finished the Woolf.
I'd rather not start a new thread, hiving off contemporary Russian literature from the rest. As Nnyhav so rightly points out, Russian literature very much depends on its history. That is indeed what the Rosalind Marsh book expands on, at length. One Russian novel I want to resume reading when I have time is
Children of the Arbat by Anatoli Rybakov. I was very impressed when I read it, but broke off, for some reason, well over a year ago.
I see all literatures as embedded in a nation, a culture, and a series of epochs. Even (or, maybe, especially) the most introverted writings reflect a period, the national mood, the Zeitgeist, as does the Woolf I'm reading.