Tales of Belkin

The first prose writings by Alexander Pushkin are found in Tales of Belkin which was first published anonymously in 1830. It consists of an introduction note and five interconnected anecdotes that were purportedly gathered by the academic Ivan Belkin. This stunning novella paints a realistic picture of life in nineteenth-century Russia with stories focusing on prominent military figures the wealthy and businesspeople. It has grown to be one of the most cherished works of Russian literature and a representation of the popularity of the novella format in that country. In reality it has taken on the name of Russias most renowned literary award the Belkin Prize which is granted annually to the book judged to be the years greatest novella.