The White Guard

"The White Guard" — the first novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. This is a book about how to stand firm when the world collapses, and about the strength of the human spirit in the face of trials.

The novel, whose characters are... coded representations of Bulgakov's relatives and friends — and himself — is based on the writer's memories of the events of the Civil War that took place at the end of 1918. "I dare assure you, this will be a novel that will make the heavens hot," — he wrote and later referred to "The White Guard" as one of his most beloved works.

The home of the Turbin family — two brothers and a sister — with its tiled stove, samovar, and lamp with a lampshade seems to be the only safe place in a country engulfed by Civil War. However, when the enemy enters the City, everyone faces a choice: to flee or to fight, even knowing that the odds are unequal?