The Old Woman Izergil

"A daring talent", "does not withstand the economy of feelings", "hits the heart like a hammer" — this is how critics and colleagues spoke of the work of young Gorky, who, in his own words, "came into the world to disagree". Such are his heroes.

The center of the stories and novellas in this collection is the image of a woman: extraordinary, proud, and free-spirited, a woman of the element, who does not accept falsehood, a romantic ideal, capable of both being a ray of light in the darkness and leading to spiritual decay.

In addition to the story "The Old Woman Izergil", which presents the famous legend of Danko and his burning heart, the collection includes the texts "Makar Chudra", "Varenka Olesova", "Malva", and "Twenty-six and One".