Books
automatic translateVladimir Torin’s "Gryzlobich," a summary
This book is a 2023 story about a lonely and deranged pneumatic tube cleaner who fakes his own kidnapping by a fictitious serial killer in order to catch the city’s notorious vigilante.
A summary of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin’s "Provincial Essays"
This book is a satirical chronicle of life in the fictional town of Krutogorsk, written in 1856 and 1857. The work draws on the writer’s personal experience of exile in Vyatka. Saltykov-Shchedrin mercilessly exposes the tyranny, corruption, and stupidity of provincial bureaucracy during the era of serfdom.
"Gum-Gum" by Evgeny Veltistov, summary
This book is a fairy-tale fantasy novel by Yevgeny Veltistov. Created in 1970, the story vividly depicts the conflict between a carefree existence, where machines fulfill all childhood desires, and the joy of independently exploring the real world.
A summary of "The Humanist" by Alexander Shevtsov
"The Humanist" is an original screenplay about a public "human rights activist" who, confronted with the reality of 1937, gradually transforms his personal salvation into complicity with the repressive system.
"Let’s Play, Dragon!" by Dakha Taratorina, summary
This book is a humorous and romantic fantasy about a professional bodyguard, published in 2019. The crucial plot element lies in the paradox of the main characters: a tough mercenary from Earth takes under her wing a weak, naive dragon alchemist from a parallel dimension.
"Distant Rainbow" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, summary
The story was written in 1962This book is a socio-philosophical fantasy about the events of a single day on the planet-testing ground called Rainbow, where scientists conduct dangerous physics experiments. The fundamental determinant of the plot is a person’s moral choice in the face of an inevitable natural and man-made cataclysm.
A summary of Arkady Gaidar’s "Distant Lands"
This story was written in 1932It depicts the industrialization of a remote region through the eyes of ordinary village boys, whose boring lives are transformed by a large-scale construction project. This book is a detailed chronicle of the uncompromising confrontation between the new collective farm system and the old kulak order.
"The Gift of Shavanakhola" by Max Fry, summary
The 2011 work "The Gift of Shavanahola: A Tale Told by Sir Max of Echo" tells the story of the mysteries of a magical library and the secrets of fictional texts. Max shares mystical secrets about the nature of fiction. The conversation reveals the history of hidden books and invisible worlds.
Vladimir Nabokov’s "The Gift," a summary
This Russian-language metanovel was written in 1938. The text’s true heroine is Russian literature itself. The plot describes three years in the life of a young émigré writer, whose creative development slowly merges with reality.
Ivan Okhlobystin’s "Down House," a summary
The screenplay for "Down House" was written by Ivan Okhlobystin in the late 1990s. It is a grotesque, blackly humorous adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s classic novel "The Idiot."
A summary of "Summer Residents" by Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky’s play, written in 1904, is a poignant social drama that exposes the ideological crisis of the Russian intelligentsia on the eve of the First Russian Revolution. The author meticulously documents the growing gap between the privileged class and the common people.
A summary of Alexander Volkov’s "Two Brothers"
Alexander Melentievich Volkov’s historical novel, written between 1938 and 1961, unfolds a broad picture of Peter the Great’s reforms through the lives of two sons of a deceased strelets soldier—Ilya and Yegor Markov.
A summary of Jules Verne’s Two Years’ Vacation
"Two Years’ Vacation" is an 1888 adventure novel. It shows the capabilities of children left alone in the wild and how they organize a colony without adults.
"Two Captains" by Veniamin Kaverin, summary
A grim novel of coming-of-age and Arctic exploration, written between 1936 and 1944. The narrative centers on a true historical mystery—a lost polar expedition that embodied elements of the heroic voyages of Brusilov, Sedov, and Toll.
"Twenty Years After" by Alexandre Dumas, summary
The adventure novel "Twenty Years After" was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1845. The author transports readers to France and England in the mid-17th century, when the monarchical foundations of both countries were undergoing a severe crisis.