Petersburg Tales

In the 1830s, Gogol begins to observe St. Petersburg as a strange acquaintance: everything seems proper, the facade shines, but behind it is some sort of devilry. The city here is not just a backdrop, but a character - gloomy, mysterious, and slightly mad. Here, a nose walks without an owner, rank is more important than personality, and common sense gives way to absurdity.

The title "Petersburg Tales" was proposed by literary scholar Vladimir Shendrok in the late 19th century, and the cycle was published as a separate edition only in 1924. So the path to its own "cover" was long for these tales, but quite Gogolian - with intricate twists and hidden meaning.