The Stories of Belkin. The Queen of Spades

The cycle of stories by A. S. Pushkin “The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin” is a literary mystification. The author hides behind the name of the fictional landlord Belkin, who supposedly publishes stories written by him about life.... This technique allows Pushkin to create an illusion of reality. The reader believes both in the mystical tale of the gravedigger and in the love drama in “The Snowstorm”; empathizes with the station master and the characters of the story “The Shot”; and follows the romantic collisions in “The Lady Peasant” with interest. The theme of fate and truth, indicated in “Belkin's Tales,” is deeply contemplated in the story “The Queen of Spades,” where the protagonist, in his aspirations to occupy a high position, tries to deceive his predetermined fate. The book is accompanied by illustrations from two artists of the mid-19th century. Aram Vanetsian depicts “Belkin's Tales” in bright, colorful images, allowing the reader to vividly imagine the characters. Andrei Nikolaev in his illustrations focuses on the fatalism, the power of which is evident in the portraits of Hermann, Lisa, and the old countess.