I’d have to crowdsource some of that, as I am not sufficiently erudite. But one place I would start if you can find a copy would be Children of the Arbat by Anatoli Rybakov. It tells the story of the area around Arbat Street in Moscow, where Rybakov himself grew up, and the precarious life of Soviet youth under Stalin, and what happened even to those who were “well-behaved”. It is 20 years since I read it. It is out of print in the UK. Until a few months ago, I had two copies - one bought in Toronto airport by the Knackered Hackette in 1989. So you might be lucky in the second hand bookshops if Amazon.ca can’t help.

The reason I like it most, is that it was translated by my tutor Harry Shukman — a great man, wonderful teacher, and the reason these Kino pics exist at all.

Tim

Thanks for the article above, and thank you for the inserted clip. Very sophisticated.

My interest in things Russian continues to grow thanks to your blog.

I shared your website with a colleague with whom I’d enjoyed a recent business trip to Moscow. I’d been lamenting the fact that I was becoming more aware of post-WWII Russian music, but knew little of their literature. I said I was searching for a digestable equivalent to “Strangers and Brothers” and he recommended Life and Fate by Grossman. It is astounding. I’m in the early pages but have already become engrossed.

Perhaps, at a latter date and if interested, you might also give your perspective on the literary and film equivalents to Tsoi?