Christian Legends

The author of "Levsha," "The Enchanted Wanderer," and "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District" was distinguished by great piety since childhood, but his attitude toward the Orthodox Church was, at best, critical — Leskov believed that the church merely distracts parishioners from the truth of Christ. It is not surprising that the collection "Christian Legends" is dedicated to the lives of early saints who lived in Egypt and the countries of the Middle East. The heroes of the collection are elders and hermits, beautiful maidens and lovesick youths; they love and suffer, seek the truth and witness real miracles, but above all, they all fervently believe in God and find Him in their souls.