Ivan Turgenev

"Fathers and Sons" is not only a portrait of individual characters but also a reflection of the broader societal changes taking place in 19th-century Russia. Turgenev's narrative captures the tension between traditional aristocratic values and the rise of revolutionary ideas that would shape the course of Russian history. He offers a poignant critique of both generations, showcasing their strengths, weaknesses, and their struggle to adapt to the shifting...

Ovsyanikov reminded me of the Russian boyars of the times before Peter the Great.... The national holiday dress would have suited him well. He was one of the last men left of the old time. All his neighbors had a great respect for him, and considered it an honor to be acquainted with him. His fellow peasant-proprietors almost worshipped him, and took off their hats to him from a distance: they were proud of him.

A journey into the depth of Russian countryside where intimate connection with nature comes as a natural way of life. Meet Kassyan, who can communicate directly with birds and other forest creatures. Discover mysterious sweet-voiced oracle bird, The Gamayune living among trees with leaves that fall not, neither in autumn nor in winter, and apples grow of gold, on silver branches, and every man lives in uprightness and content.

Once, as I was wandering about the fields after partridges with Yermolai, I saw some way off a deserted garden, and turned into it. I had hardly crossed its borders when a snipe rose up out of a bush with a clatter. I fired my gun, and at the same instant, a few paces from me, I heard a shriek; the frightened face of a young girl peeped out for a second from behind the trees, and instantly disappeared. Yermolai ran up to me: 'Why are you shooting...

An intriguing confession of doctor's romantic involvement with a beautiful 20 year old patient. Followed by Turgenev's exquisite, often meditative descriptions of Russian countryside and mysterious herbalist Kassyan infatuated with Gamayane, a prophetic bird of Russian folklore, a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.

Lavretsky pursues an education in Moscow, and while he is studying there, he falls in love with a beautiful young woman Varvara. The two move to Paris, where Varvara becomes a very popular salon hostess and begins an affair with one of her frequent visitors. Lavretsky learns of the affair only when he discovers a note written to her by her lover. Shocked by her betrayal, he severs all contact with her and returns to his family estate.

Generally thought to be the work that led to the abolishment of serfdom in Russia, Sketches from a Hunter's Album (A Sportsman's Sketches) is a series of short stories, written in 1852, that gained Turgenev widespread recognition for his unique writing style. These stories were the result of Turgenev's observations while hunting all over Russia, particularly on his abusive mother's estate at Spasskoye. A definitive work of the Russian Realist tradition,...

Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883) was a novelist, poet and playwright known for his honest and affectionate portrayals of Russian serfs in the feudal system of the nineteenth century. Unlike his contemporaries Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy, whose writings focused primarily on church and religion, Turgenev believed in and advocated the need for Russia to Westernize. He criticized the provincial society and political turbulence of his time through sophisticated,...

A journey into the depth of Russian countryside where intimate connection with nature comes as a natural way of life. Meet Kassyan, who can communicate directly with birds and other forest creatures. Discover mysterious sweet-voiced oracle bird, The Gamayune living among trees with leaves that fall not, neither in autumn nor in winter, and apples grow of gold, on silver branches, and every man lives in uprightness and content.

Generally thought to be the work that led to the abolishment of serfdom in Russia, "Sketches from a Hunter's Album" is a series of short stories, written in 1852, that gained Turgenev widespread recognition for his unique writing style. These stories were the result of Turgenev's observations while hunting all over Russia, particularly on his abusive mother's estate at Spasskoye. A definitive work of the Russian Realist tradition, this collection...