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”
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)”
Continue reading “Fyodor #Dostoyevsky on the #Slavic Question”
Always are the weak at fault before the strong.
In history we hear a host of examples,
But history we are not writing:
Here is how they tell of it in Fables. Continue reading “Ivan Krylov’s Fable “The Wolf and the Lamb””
