Puskary Khakharyn and Others. Curious Stories About People Who Resided in the All-Russian State in the 18th Century

«Curious Stories» is a collection of unique satirical works, short stories about the time of Peter, written by contemporary author, professor, and doctor of historical sciences D. O. Serov. It is a researcher’s perspective on the Petrine era, directed at past events from the future. The narrative language is a wonderful stylization of the spoken word characteristic of the administrative circles of the first quarter of the 18th century.
The book consists of three parts. The first presents stories from the lives of the «chicks of Peter's nest», «higher personages» in the state. The second part - mystical - tells of the ghost of Peter I, appearing to his «chicks», who had briefly breathed easier without him. The third part is an anecdotal tale in stories about the life of a fictional «typical representative» of the Petrine time, the gunsmith Khakharyn.
The stories, colored with remarkable humor, will undoubtedly be interesting to prepared readers who understand literary play and know the realities of the era in question. At the same time, many texts can be recommended for use in history classes in secondary schools; they will be quite comprehensible to children and their engaging nature will help them more vividly feel the time of Peter's reforms.