Опубликовано в журнале Дружба Народов, номер 4, 2013
NIKOLAY VEREVOCHKIN. Earthquake at the Cemetery
“To understand this story one should read it with the speed of a bicyclist, not fast and not slowly, — the protagonist of this long short story recommends. — On foot is too tiresome: you go, go, go and the fence never ends. In a car is too fast: the landscape becomes smudged into a motley background. On a bicycle is just what you need: enough time to make out everything and not enough to get bored”.
POETRY
Today’s Ukrainian poetry is presented in this issue by two well-known authors: SERGEY ZDAN with his sad but full of emotional power verses skillfully translated by IGOR BELOV, and ALEXANDER KABANOV unpredictable in his associations and alliterations. Against this background the lyrics by ANNA ARKATOVA keep their pure note without going off key and the classical eight-line couplets by VLADIMIR SALIMON sound especially convicting and philosophical.
ALEXANDER NICKULIN. The Peasant’s Lot of Nickolay Dobrij
The discussion never ends in Russia: whether there are peasants still available in the country or have they disappeared completely by the end of the XX century under the blows of collectivization, industrialization, evacuation of the unpromising villages and the marketing reforms. Sociologist
A. Nickulin in his essay tells about a man who by right may be called a modern peasant.
MARUS IVASHKYAVICHUS. Civilization Verdgbolovo. ELENA PECHERSKAYA. Lithuania My Love.
These are two journey-essays. One is a journey by time — into the lost world of the childhood and youth. Tribute to the memory. A kind of Thanksgiving rite. The other is a journey by space — into a foreign country which nevertheless has become the author’s deep and devoted affection for the lifetime. But in both cases the talk turns to the unique charm of Lithuania.