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russian (42)
memoir (34)
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“History is written by the victors. Legends are woven by the people. Writers fantasize. Only death is certain.
"To Die for One's Country is Glorious," p. 131”
― The Encyclopedia of the Dead
"To Die for One's Country is Glorious," p. 131”
― The Encyclopedia of the Dead
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
―
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
―
“the problem with self-esteem – whether it is high or low – is that, every single day, we are in the courtroom.”
― The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness
― The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness
“You know, a government should be a good thing. The Anglo-Saxons and the Germans rejoice in the phenomenon of government. They think that the recipe for human happiness is that you should make your desires and actions concordant with those of the government. So a German and an American will try to make the government work for him, protect him, and he will be more than happy to murder to preserve that wonderful symbiosis. And if he has some money to invest, he will invest it in the government, buying government bonds. He does this regardless of whether his government happens to be trillions of dollars in debt—that is, practically bankrupt. Despite his rhetoric of private enterprise, a Westerner will invest in his government. And we, Eastern and Central Europeans, and particularly Slavs, we all consider our governments to be absolutely the worst in the world. We are ashamed of our governments, and, as a rule, our government is ashamed of us, trying to improve us statistically, to say that we work more and drink less than we do. We think that there's no greater obstacle to human happiness than the government. So even if we have an institution pregnant with democratic potential, such as workers' self-management, we never even bother to attend a meeting unless absolutely forced. And as for voting, we circle any name without looking at whose it is, out of spite. To a Slav, there is nothing more disgusting than voting. We have an aversion to investing trust in any human being. So how could we single out someone we haven't met but whom we know a priori to be a social upstart and climber? So we spend these workers' self-management meetings, where democracy could be practiced, in daydreams of sex and violence.”
― April Fool's Day
― April Fool's Day
Discovering Russian Literature
— 3025 members
— last activity Mar 02, 2026 04:52PM
Whether you are a newbie or an expert or simply love Russian literature... Welcome! This is a friendly group where you can share your thoughts an ...more
Dostoyevsky's Lair: Russian Literature
— 435 members
— last activity Apr 01, 2023 02:23PM
This group explores Russian literature with an emphasis on 19th/20th century authors.
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