The Private Life of Alexander Pushkin A touching autobiographical story of the author's first year as a teacher, far from the glittering lights of the capital. Humor
Fathers and Sons A short excerpt from the novel that brought Turgenev world renown, with its dissection of the divide between the liberals of the 1840s and the radicals of the 1860s. Literature
Letter Before Exile A letter the author wrote to his brother, immediately before his transport into Siberian exile. Memoir
A Great Honor Sometimes unexpected things happen when you are asked to speak and perform in the provinces. Humor
On the Eve Turgenev's third novel, set on the eve of the Crimean War, discusses the destiny of Russia through the story of a young woman named Elena, who marries a foreign revolutionary. Literature
The Petersburg Feuilletons A journalistic piece from 1847, in which Fyodor Mikhailovich lambasts "the dreamer" omnipresent in St. Petersburg life. Literature
On Tverskoy Boulevard A run in with a traffic cop gives the author some perspective on the importance of literature. Humor
Hamlet and Don Quixote A vitally important bit of literary (and social) criticism by Turgenev, in which he divides the world up into Hamlets and Quixotes. Literature
The Many Faces of Fyodor Mikhailovich Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky is known for huge, intense, philosophical works, but this reputation ignores the great variety of his writing. Literature
A House of Gentlefolk Extract from the author's least controversial and most widely read work during his lifetime. Yet Goncharov (he of Oblomov fame) accused Turgenev of plagiarizing the story from him. Literature
My City Now is Drowsing A final poem by Okudzhava to close out this issue devoted to his beloved city. Music
