Bulgakov

ЧтениЯReadings #36

by Mikhail Bulgakov (Contributor), Olga Kuzmina (Introduction), Hugh Aplin (Translator)

The texts presented here showcase the abilities of one of the twentieth century's finest writers, Mikhail Bulgakov. Indeed, he was a literary chameleon, able to work in an impressive variety of genres against a rapidly changing political background. The works selected here give a portrait of the artist as a chronicler of the tumultuous early years of the Soviet Union, as well as a survivor, who was able to accommodate his writing - without sacrificing any of its quality or originality - to the shifting political limits of the times. Nearly 80 years after Bulgakov’s death, the body of work he left behind continues to shine a light on the role of the artist in a controlled society.

132 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2016

About the author

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Булгаков) was a Russian writer, medical doctor, and playwright. His novel The Master and Margarita , published posthumously, has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

He also wrote the novel The White Guard and the plays Ivan Vasilievich, Flight (also called The Run ), and The Days of the Turbins . He wrote mostly about the horrors of the Russian Civil War and about the fate of Russian intellectuals and officers of the Tsarist Army caught up in revolution and Civil War.

Some of his works ( Flight , all his works between the years 1922 and 1926, and others) were banned by the Soviet government, and personally by Joseph Stalin, after it was decided by them that they "glorified emigration and White generals". On the other hand, Stalin loved The Days of the Turbins (also called The Turbin Brothers ) very much and reportedly saw it at least 15 times.