The Tales of Belkin

All the work of A. S. Pushkin, the great Russian poet and writer, is a true example of impeccable prose and literary taste. Pushkin's turn to prose was a deliberate step, preceded by reflections on the nature of verbal art. The works of the first Russian poet reflect all of Russia: its history, traditions, beliefs, the strength of national character, and human suffering… "The Tales of Belkin" are primarily stories about love and fidelity to one’s word, about nobility and the resilience that ordinary people have to show while battling the fickle fate for their happiness.

Illustrations for the tales were created by a great connoisseur of A. S. Pushkin's work, the Petersburg artist Igor Shaimardanov. Today, Igor Shaimardanov's paintings are in the State Museum of A. S. Pushkin (Moscow), the All-Russian Museum of A. S. Pushkin on the Moika (St. Petersburg), the Vladimir Nabokov Museum-Apartment (St. Petersburg), the "Foundation for Contemporary Art", the Pushkinogory Museum-Reserve, as well as in other state and private collections.