Diamonds to sit on (The Twelve Chairs)(1927)

This popular Soviet writing duo wrote two widely acclaimed novels, ‘The Twelve Chairs’ and ‘The Golden Calf’, which have become widely quoted. In ‘The Twelve Chairs’, a charming rogue and adventurer named Ostap Bender and his naive apprentice partner, Kisa Vorobyaninov, set out in search of diamonds hidden in one of the family chairs. Along the way, they encounter truly amazing adventures!

The book has been translated into over 30 languages. It has inspired screen adaptations around the world. In Russia, the most famous movies are those by directors Leonid Gaidai and Mark Zakharov.

Translated by Elizabeth Hill & Doris Mudie, Publisher Methuen, 1930