March 14, 2020

The Government Inspector Gets a Monument


The Government Inspector Gets a Monument
A tale worthy of a statue. Andrew Krizhanovsky, public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The Vologda Oblast government plans to give Nikolai Gogol's officious Khlestakov (or, rather, his historical analog) his own monument.

This seems strangely appropriate, if a little ironic.

Regional authorities announced that the monument will be added with the renovation of the market square in the town of Ustyuzhna. The square will sport a new fountain and historic center in addition to the Inspector monument. Funds for the projects total R40 million ($560,000) and may increase. "This is our story, and we want to perpetuate it," regional head Igor Petrov told a local news agency.

We're not sure if that's something to be proud of.

Gogol's play The Government Inspector (or, in Russian, «Ревизор»; also often translated as The Inspector General), is a highly-readable comedy of errors. In it, a provincial Russian town anxiously anticipates the arrival of the titular official; when a lowly and ostentatious civil servant arrives and charges a large tab at local establishment to the crown, the townspeople assume that he is the inspector, and trip over themselves in an attempt to impress him.

The tale is, reportedly, based on an anecdote told to Gogol by his colleague Alexander Pushkin, about a similar event that took place in Ustyuzhna.

This doesn't seem like something for a town to be proud of, but who are we to judge?

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955