The Innkeeper

The novella "The Innkeeper" served as the basis for Stanislav Govorukhin's film "Bless the Woman" (2003). Young Verochka from a seaside town marries officer Alexander Larichev. In marriage, the girl must maintain a cozy home, be cheerful, and please her husband in everything. Together, they endure heavy hardships and war, while remaining kind and bright individuals. This is a story of sacrificial love and how inner strength helps the heroine become the mistress not only of the inn but also of her own life. The author of the novella is I. Grekova, the pen name of the writer and Soviet mathematician Elena Ventsel (1907–2002), derived from the name of the letter "ypsilon".