Russian classical literature is an absolutely unique phenomenon. It has its own spirit, its own features which reveal the special character of the Russian soul. Stories described in the books by Russian classical authors are always surprising and unique, and they affect every reader’s feelings. Therefore, in this article we tried to select and compile the list of Russian books everyone should read.

“The Master and Margarita”

“The Master and Margarita” is the most mysterious book of the 20th century written by Russian classical writer Mikhail Bulgakov. He wrote the book during last years of his life, at the end of the 1920s. The author had been working on the book for more than 10 years. The book became one of the best recognized of his works. In “The Master and Margarita” Bulgakov reflected on everything: love and magic, cheerful mischief and sadness, mysteries and careless games with evil spirits.

“Eugene Onegin”

“Eugene Onegin” is a novel in verse that was written in 1823-1831 by a distinguished Russian poet and playwriter of the 19th century Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. This book is one of the most prominent masterpieces in Russian literature. The novel is based on a love affair, as well as the eternal problem of feelings and duty. In “Eugene Onegin” Pushkin showed the dramatic destiny of Russian aristocrats.

“Crime and Punishment”

The novel “Crime and Punishment” can be referred to as a real criminal story and one of the most brilliant books in the world literature. It was written in 1866 by a Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky is one of those writers who influenced the minds of many of his contemporaries and descendants. In “Crime and punishment” the author shows how a person at one point can go against their heart, moral and ethical standards, and commit crime.

“War and Peace”

“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy is considered to be one of the most famous book in the Russian literature. The novel was written in 1869. It took the author 7 years to make his book perfect. The book describes how lives of the main characters interact, which leads to both happy and tragic consequences.

“A Hero of Our Time”

“A Hero of Our Time” is a famous novel by Russian classical writer Mikhail Lermontov, which was written one year before the author died in 1840. The novel represents Russian aristocracy – a hero of the expiring era. The work consists of several separate parts, the order of which are organized in the wrong order. It is also known that Lermontov nourished the idea of creating his novel for a rather long time, and it took Lermontov quite a time to work on the novel.

“Dead Souls”

The book “Dead Souls” was written by Nikolai Gogol, one of the most mysterious and mystical authors of the 19th century. Gogol devoted most part of his life to creation of this novel. In the book, he reflected on the whole Russian society with all its features. In his work, Gogol satirizes the vices of landlords and other high-ranking officials.

“Anna Karenina”

“Anna Karenina” is another distinguished book written by Leo Tolstoy in 1873. The novel dwells on the themes of love, family, and the essence of life. It also tells about life in Russia in the 1870s, and families that were happy in a similar way and unhappy in a different way during that time.  Many contemporaries were amazed by the novel and by the early 1900s Tolstoy’s work was translated into several languages. Now it is part of the so-called golden fund of the world literature.

“Fathers and Sons”

The last novel we’d like to tell you about is “Fathers and Sons”. This novel was written by Russian writer Ivan Turgenev in 1862. The novel can be called really iconic, as the image of the protagonist became an example to follow for young people of the time. In addition, the novel deals with several other problems: a conflict between generations, and processes taking place in society at the time.

We have reviewed several books that are worth reading for everyone who has ever visited Russia, because these works fully reflect the identity of Russian culture and literature. Have you ever read any of these books? Leave your comments.