To Leave is Impossible, to Stay. From the Family Correspondence of Burlyuk and Delaunay

The large Burlyuk family split after the revolution and the Civil War—part of the family left Soviet Russia forever, while part remained at home. The same happened with the family and extensive circle of friends of Sonia Delaunay. But despite the seemingly closed borders, correspondence in both families continued for years, and the main theme of the endless letters was the debate between those who left and those who stayed—about the justification of fleeing, about fear of the future, and whether a particular decision was right or wrong.

In the book "To Leave is Impossible, to Stay," writer and researcher Evgeny Demenok, relying on still unpublished archives, attempts to reconstruct this correspondence and to once again discuss a topic that remains relevant. Because the pain that accompanied these people throughout their dramatic and often tragic lives remains a constant pain—both for those who leave and for those who stay. Regardless of the terrible times in which the described events take place.