Flowers, the Charm of Souls

Flowers are a special chapter in Russian poetry; they are both a symbol and a sign, and an embodiment of pure beauty. Flowers enchant the soul and comfort the heart, inspire dreams and awaken memories, bring inspiration and joy. The poetic lines of Russian classics of the 19th-20th centuries — Konstantin Balmont and Anna Akhmatova, Afanasy Fet and Ivan Bunin, Valery Bryusov, Igor Severyanin, and other masters — will guide the reader into a flower garden made possible on the pages of this book: here, in the magnificent paintings of the St. Petersburg artist Maria Pavlova, the timid first lily of the valley coexists with the charming dahlia, vibrant flashes of poppies shade the porcelain pallor of lilies, and modest cornflowers greet the serene daffodils.