Ivan Krylov’s Fable – “Quartet”
Category: Russian Literature
The Russian Language
Ivan Turgenev, The Russian Language (prose poem).
In days of doubt, in days of sad brooding on my country’s fate, thou alone art my rod and my staff — oh great, mighty, true and free Russian tongue! But for thee, how not to fall into despair, seeing all that happens at home? Yet who can think that such a language is not given to a great people? Continue reading “The Russian Language”
‘No True Russian’ Feeds the Penguin
Russia & the West.
Pt. V: ‘No True Russian’ Feeds the Penguin.
Person A: "No Russian feeds the Penguin." Person B: "But my uncle Andrey feeds the Penguin all the time." Person A: "Ah yes, but no true Russian feeds the Penguin."
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After the Penguin ad controversy, I thought of a very famous (in Russia) quote from another oustanding Russian – Alexander Pushkin. In his 1826 letter to Pyotr Vyazemsky he wrote:
Continue reading “‘No True Russian’ Feeds the Penguin”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky “My Paradox” (Extract)
Again a tussle with Europe (oh, it’s not a war yet: they say that we – Russia, that is – are still a long way from war). Again the endless Eastern Question is in the news; and again in Europe they are looking mistrustfully at Russia. . . . Yet why we should go running to seek Europe’s trust? Did Europe ever trust the Russians? Can she ever trust us and stop seeing us as her enemy? Oh, of course this view will change someday; someday Europe will better be able to make us out and realize what we are like; and it is certainly worth discussing this someday; but meanwhile a somewhat irrelevant question or side issue has occured to me and I have recently been busy to solve it. No one may agree with me, yet I think that I am right – in part, maybe, but right. Continue reading “Fyodor Dostoyevsky “My Paradox” (Extract)”
Fyodor #Dostoyevsky on the #Slavic Question
Fyodor Dostoyevsky‘s Diary (1877, November).
Some Quite Special Remarks about the Slavs That I Intended to Make Long Ago.
Continue reading “Fyodor #Dostoyevsky on the #Slavic Question”
