Drawing on a wealth of source material, this collection of articles examines various aspects of the relationship between the two states over an extended period. Significant attention is devoted to the roles played by Russia and Kazakhstan in the process of consolidating peoples across the Eurasian region, including in the post-Soviet era. The volume highlights the development of economic and...

Philological observations and literary criticism written in different years.

Sergei Dovlatov is one of the most popular and widely-read Russian authors from the end of the twentieth century. His stories, anecdotes and notes have been translated into many languages, adapted to film, and studied in schools and universities. Dovlatov's surprisingly funny yet at times strikingly sad stories have long been considered classics. You will remember his quirky jokes instantly,...

The novel *Oblomov* represents the pinnacle of I. A. Goncharov’s literary career. Published in 1859, it elicited a mixed response from critics. Goncharov not only portrayed a remarkable and paradoxical type of Russian character but also turned the name into a household term, defining this specific lifestyle as ‘Oblomovism.’ Some viewed Oblomov as a symbol of Russia’s stagnation and a sign of...

A.I. Kuprin began writing the story 'The Pit' in 1909 and completed the work six years later. The book about the life of prostitutes evoked more condemnation than sympathy or understanding. The author was accused of immorality and excessive naturalism. The attitude to the story by Leo Tolstoy (by the way, the author of the scandalous 'Kreutzer Sonata') was sharply negative. ... And as if in...

Pushkin's turn to prose was a deliberate step, preceded by reflections on the nature of verbal art. And it is quite possible that the interest of the first Russian poet in prose was based on a sense of the unprecedented seriousness of the tasks facing Russian literature. The collection includes works by A. S. Pushkin: 'Arap of Peter the Great', 'Tales of the late Ivan Petrovich Belkin', 'The...

Jack London was a master storyteller and one of the world's most popular American writers. His books are filled with thrilling adventures, rugged romance, and noble sentiments that remain with his characters even through the harshest trials. This is especially true of his works set in the American North—a region where the author himself experienced perilous adventures and about which he wrote...

The second part of this popular Russian language course for adults is designed for learners progressing from the Basic to the First Level (A2–B1). The textbook is intended for an average of 80–120 hours of study. Its aim is to facilitate the rapid acquisition of various language aspects and speech skills. The textbook integrates grammar and conversational practice. (TBU–TORFL-1 / A2–B1)

*Doctor Faustus* (1943) is a seminal work by Thomas Mann and one of the most significant books of the 20th century. Under Mann’s pen, the old German legend of Doctor Johann Faustus—who sold his soul to the Devil not for money or fame, but for absolute knowledge—is transformed into a mysterious parable-like novel about the talented young composer Leverkühn. Whether in reality or merely in his...

This collection includes three plays by George Bernard Shaw. Foremost among them is *Pygmalion* (1912), which has inspired numerous film adaptations and the legendary Broadway musical *My Fair Lady*. The plot is based on the ancient Greek myth of a sculptor striving to bring a beautiful statue he has created to life; in Shaw’s play, the protagonist attempts to transform a simple flower girl...