Viy

The cycle "Mirgorod" by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809–1852) is rightly considered a masterpiece of Russian literature. The stories included in it, "Taras Bulba," "Old-World Landowners," "Viy," and "How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," make up the "golden fund" of our classical literature, as confirmed by numerous film adaptations and theatrical productions. What is Mirgorod like? It is a collective image of the Little Russian province, where at one end of the town a seminarian officiates a witch-noblewoman's burial and encounters unclean forces, while at the other end, away from worldly bustle, an old couple of landowners lives blissfully. The story of the uprising of the Zaporizhian Cossacks and the feud of old friends that began over a trifle. All this you will find on the pages of this collection.