May 26, 2011

Summer Chtenia: Sneak peek at Voloshin


Summer Chtenia: Sneak peek at Voloshin

The summer issue of Chtenia is about to go to print, and, yet again, it has shaped up into an eclectic and yet harmonious collection of excellent writing.  One of the poets we're including in this issue is Maximilian Voloshin, the free spirit extraordinaire, a painter and a mythologue. 

I was privileged to serve as a sounding board for Lydia Razran Stone who tackled the translation, and in the course of discussing the poem and Voloshin's aesthetics with her I came to realize how little known this artist is and how interesting. Voloshin, to me, has come to seem almost like Walt Whitman's long-lost cousin--same passion, same love of life, same sense of cosmic proportion, only with more disciplined rhyme and meter. Voloshin was also a painter--some of his paintings can be seen in his old home, now museum in Koktebel (Gurzuf, actually). Voloshin's imagination was captivated by the ancient, mythical past of Crimea -- whose shores make appearances in Ancient Greek myths, and later were home to nomadic tribes. Remember Conan the Barbarian? Well, as originally conceived by Robert E. Howard, Conan was a Cimmerian, i.e. a guy from Cimmeria, or Cymmeria as it's sometimes spelled -- an ancient historical name for Crimea (if I have it straight, the Cimmerians were pushed out by the Scythians... or maybe the other way around).

The landscapes Voloshin painted of Crimea could very well serve as settings for Conan's adventures -- here's a wild, mysterious land that holds memories of many vanished tribes, its hills like the many-colored hides of their horses.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955