3 Types of Evil Spirits in Russian Literature

VAMPIRES

Alexey Tolstoy. ‘The Vampire’ (1841)

A Russian homage to English writer John Polidori's ‘The Vampire’, which was published in 1819 and then translated into Russian nine years later. The two works share not only similar titles, but also a plot set at a social gathering. Tolstoy then went his own way, telling a story about vampires that can be interpreted as both mystical and purely realistic. 

Alexander Pushkin. ‘The Ghoul’ (1835)

The Russian genius couldn't help but mock the fashion for romantic bloodsuckers and wrote a poem in which a cowardly man sneaks through a cemetery at night. Hearing smacking and growling sounds, he thinks he's encountered a vampire. But, in actual fact, it's just a stray dog ​​gnawing on a bone.

Mikhail Bulgakov. ‘The Master and Margarita’ (1940)

Hella is Woland's (i.e. Satan's) servant, a red-haired girl wearing only a lace apron and slippers. Bulgakov took the character's name from the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, which noted that on the island of Lesbos, this name was used for untimely deaths of young women, who became vampires after death.

Sergey Lukyanenko, ‘Night Watch’ (1998)

The novel's plot unfolds in Moscow in the late 1990s. Parallel to the world of ordinary people, there exists a world of ‘Others’ – humans endowed with supernatural abilities. They, in turn, are divided into Light and Dark, but their eternal struggle has given way to a fragile equilibrium. To maintain balance, every Light spell must be offset by a Dark one. Two organizations enforce this rule: the ‘Night Watch’ protects the interests of the Light, while the ‘Day Watch’ protects the interests of the Dark. Vampires are one of the races of the Others. They are integrated into society, live by their own Code and are part of the system of Light and Dark. 

Victor Pelevin, ‘Empire V’ (2006)

Viktor Pelevin reimagined the idea of ​​vampirism and used the vampire image for social satire. His vampires are a metaphor for the ruling class, "pagans" who feed not on blood, but on human time, energy and attention, turning people into controllable consumers. 

Alexey Ivanov, ‘Food Block’ (2018)

If Pelevin's vampirism is a metaphor for money, Ivanov's is a metaphor for ideological and administrative pressure. His vampires inhabit a pioneer camp in 1980. They are representatives of the camp administration and counselors. The author uses them as an allegory for the "bloodsucking" leaders, who live at the expense of the system and the children under their control.

GHOSTS

Nikolai Gogol's ‘May Night or the Drowned Maiden’ (1830)

The "Evenings on a farm near dikanka" cycle of stories is full of all sorts of evil spirits: devils, witches, sorcerers and the living dead. But, there is one character, who most closely resembles a ghost: a young, drowned girl. A stepmother killed her unloved stepdaughter. But, the stepdaughter managed to drag her attacker to the next world, as well. In the afterlife, the conflict between the women continues until one of them emerges victorious.

Vladimir Odoevsky. ‘Igosha’ (1833)

In Russian folklore, ‘Igosha’ were the spirits of infants who died before baptism. They were believed to enjoy playing pranks, dropping and damaging things and slamming doors. This is precisely what the hero of the fairy tale of the same name does; but his family thinks it's the work of a living child and punishes him for it.

Alexander Pushkin. ‘The Queen of Spades’ (1834)

The ghost of an old countess tells the protagonist which cards to bet on to win and double his bet. But, there's a condition: he must marry the countess' niece. But, the young man breaks his promise and everything ends tragically. The story was so popular with readers that avid gamblers even began betting on the cards mentioned in the story.

Nikolai Gogol. ‘The Overcoat’ (1843)

A poor councilor longs for a new overcoat and finally manages to afford one. But, his newfound enjoyment was short-lived – it was stolen. He then dies of grief and, after his death, his ghost begins wandering around St. Petersburg, snatching overcoats from passersby. This is the first work in Russian about the grievances and tragedies of the "little man".

Ivan Turgenev. ‘Ghosts’ (1864)

This story introduces a beautiful and mysterious woman named Ellis to readers. She transports the main protagonist to different parts of the world and takes him to different times. She’s the personification of painful melancholy, a premonition of death. The image lacks Gothic horror; it is rather poetic and melancholic, instead.

WEREWOLVES

Nikolai Gogol. ‘May Night or The Drowned Maiden’ & ‘The Evening Before Ivan Kupala’ (1830)

In both stories, witches transform into pets. In ‘The Evening Before Ivan Kupala’, the witch who helps the hero discover treasure first appears as a dog, then as a cat. In ‘May Night’, a witch-stepmother attacks her stepdaughter in the form of a wild cat with iron claws.

Sergey Lukyanenko. ‘Night Watch’ series (1998)

Werewolves (like vampires – see above) are another of the races of ‘Others’. They’re not strictly monsters, but rather representatives of a distinct culture with its own code of honor. Their struggle between human reason and bestial nature is the key internal drama. 

Victor Pelevin. ‘The Sacred Book of the Werewolf’ (2004)

This novel tells the story of the love between a powerful fox-werewolf named A-Khuli and a young wolf-werewolf from the FSB. Their story illustrates the eternal search for purpose in life and demonstrates that love is the primary driving force on the path to spiritual perfection.