Fathers and Sons

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (1818–1883) — a famous Russian realist writer, publicist, translator, poet, and playwright, who earned recognition worldwide. One of the classics of Russian literature, he influenced its development in the second half of the 19th century. He was a corresponding member of the imperial Academy of Sciences, an honorary doctor of Oxford University, and an honorary member of Moscow University. The novel “Fathers and Sons”, written in 1860–1861, was first published in 1862 in the journal “Russian Herald”. It tells not only about the eternal conflict between generations but also about the clash between supporters of old and new views, reflecting the moods that prevailed in the mid-19th century, when an important ideological dispute flared up between liberal nobles and nihilist petty officials. This confrontation laid the foundation for the novel and became its main theme. Young nobleman Arkady Kirsanov arrives at his parents' estate with his friend Yevgeny Bazarov. Bazarov — a medical student, a nihilist, questioning existing accepted values. Soon he enters into a polemic with Arkady's father and uncle — brothers Nikolai Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich. Disputes flare up between the generations. The Kirsanov brothers do not share the progressive ideas of the youth, while Bazarov openly mocks their values.