Stukin and Khrustalnikov: A Banking Epic

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, having read the new book by Nikolai Alexandrovich Leikin, wrote to him in personal correspondence: "'Stukin' has serious significance and is worth much (in my opinion) and will serve almost as the only monument to the banking atrocities of our time; moreover, it features… birds of a higher order. If in 'Satire' [referring to the novel 'Satyr and Nymph', which has already been published by our publishing house] the particulars are good, then 'Stukin' is good in general." It is hard not to share the opinion of the domestic classic and not to be captivated by both the numerous intrigues and the many vivid domestic details that make the narrative so interesting and credible. A minor bank employee, Stukin, gets the opportunity to advance in his career because the bank director Khrustalnikov chooses him to marry off his pregnant mistress. However, this is not the only opportunity that Stukin seizes...