In the provincial school somewhere between Kaluga and Serpukhov comes a new student Lena Bessoltseva. She settles in the house of her grandfather, Nikolai Nikolayevich, a former military man who collects paintings for the purpose of arranging a picture gallery in his house. In town his grandfather is disliked for his closed way of life. … Read more
Andrey Bely Silver Pigeon On the golden morning of the hot, stuffy, dusty Trinity, the day goes along the road to the glorious village of Tselebeyev Daryalsky, well, the very one who had been renting Fyodorov’s house for two years, and often went to his fellow-villager, Schmidt, who had spent days and nights reading philosophical … Read more
“The old man was fishing all by himself on his boat in the Gulf Stream, and for eighty-four days he went to sea and did not catch a single fish. The first forty days with him was a boy, but day after day he did not bring a catch, and the parents told the boy … Read more
1807 In Trieste lives a thirty-two-year-old widow, Mrs. Alberti, with her young sister Antonia, a girl who is fragile, sad and thoughtful. In this troubled time, when “the laws have not yet entered into force,” and justice is often idle, a gang of robbers calling themselves “brothers of the common good” is in the vicinity … Read more
V. Ya. Lakshin Writer, reader, critic They say that criticism is for this and exists to help the writer correct the shortcomings of his pen. The imposed advice seldom benefits, the artist must think for himself, another thing is that a principled literary dispute is usually in itself useful, criticism should not necessarily be a … Read more
Anticipating the story of his past, Nikanor Sapatozny, the heir of the ancient Poshekhonsky noble family, informs that in the present work the reader will not find a complete account of all the events of his life, but only a series of episodes having a connection, but at the same time representing a separate whole. … Read more
A native of Phenicia from the city of Emessa, Heliodorus was ordained. It is known: the local synod, believing that “Ethiopica” corrupts the youth, demanded that Heliodorus burn his book publicly or refuse from the priesthood. And Heliodor preferred the latter. Presumably the events of the novel refer to the fifth or fourth century. BC. … Read more
AK Tolstoy Tsar Feodor Ioannovich In the house of Ivan Petrovich Shuisky, in the presence of many clerics and some boyars, they decide to divorce Fyodor Ioannovich with the Tsarina, Godunova’s sister, thanks to whom, by all accounts, Boris is holding. They make a paper, where, remembering the barrenness of the queen and the young … Read more
Chapter first The action takes place in the provincial city of NN, where the collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov comes. He is a middle-aged man, of medium build and of pleasant appearance. Together with him came his servants – the valet Petrushka and the coachman Selifan. The time of the events described is several years … Read more
Action first The brigadier, driving from Petersburg to his home, drove with his wife and son to visit the councilor. The brigadier decided to marry Ivan’s son, who had recently visited Paris and therefore everywhere screwed up French words, to the daughter of counselor and stepdaughter of councilor Sophia. Husbands make compliments to the wives … Read more