Hailed by Nabokov as "the greatest artist that Russia has yet produced," Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) left his mark as a playwright, novelist, and writer of short stories. Gogol's works remain popular with both writers and readers, who prize his originality, imaginative gifts, and sheer exuberance.

This collection offers an excellent introduction to the author's works. Opening a door to his bizarre world of broad comedy, fantasy, and social commentary, the title story portrays a petty official's mental disintegration as he struggles for the attention of the woman he loves. Set during the repressive rule of Nicholas I, it satirizes the bureaucratic excesses of the era. Additional tales include "The Nevski Prospect," a portrayal of the feverish pace of St. Petersburg street life, and "The Portrait," a gripping depiction of a soul's perdition.

Герои романа - Лиза Тураева и Костя Тарновский познакомились на гимназическом балу. Как это часто бывает, их пути разошлись. Лиза эмигрировала за границу и стала художницей, Костя - остался в России, занялся наукой и получил звание профессора.

У каждого теперь своя семья и личная жизнь, но их общение не прерывается - они пишут друг другу письма, и эта переписка - самое важное, что есть у них в жизни.

Anna Karenina is a sophisticated woman who abandons her empty existence as the wife of Karenin and turns to Count Vronsky to fulfil her passionate nature - with tragic consequences. Levin, a reflection of Tolstoy himself, often expresses the author's own views and convictions.

Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel explores the complex interplay between love, family happiness, and the societal constraints that exist within the dynamics of city and country life. As the story unfolds, Anna's ill-fated affair with Vronsky leads to a life-altering crisis, while Levin's journey takes on a deeper philosophical significance.

The novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, exploring the variations on love and the search for happiness. Tolstoy's powerful narrative invites readers not to judge but to watch, presenting a panorama of humanity in all its flawed beauty.

Published to great acclaim and fierce controversy in 1866, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment has left an indelible mark on global literature and on our modern world.

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption.

Hard to Be a God follows Anton, an undercover operative from future Earth, on a mission to an alien planet inhabited by human beings whose society remains in the Middle Ages.

The novel's core idea explores how human progress often involves cruelty and bloodshed, with religion and blind faith serving as tools of oppression against emerging scientific disciplines and enlightenment.

Don Rumata, masquerading as an arrogant nobleman, dueler, and brawler, is sent to the medieval kingdom of Arkanar to observe and save what he can. He faces the challenge of his orders, which restrict him from killing, despite his desire to save the kingdom from Don Reba, the first minister to the king.

With his doubt, compassion, and deep love for a local girl named Kira, Rumata's role becomes complex as he navigates the kingdom's political machinations.

This translation by Olena Bormashenko reintroduces one of the most profound Soviet-era novels to an eager audience.