The History of a Town(1870)

In a parody of the chronicles of the fictional town of Glupov (an ironic name derived from the word ‘glupost’ or ‘stupidity’ in English), the author depicts the contemporary Russian Empire, its customs and the relationship between the government and the people. This novel chronicles the reigns of several mayors – all of whom are bribe-takers, ignoramuses and sinners, in general. To evoke maximum disgust in the reader, the writer imbues them with grotesque features and makes extensive use of allegories and phantasmagoria.

This novel remains one of Saltykov-Shchedrin's most widely read works: many find parallels with today. After reading this work, Ivan Turgenev compared the writer to Jonathan Swift.

Translated by Paul Foote, Publisher Meeuws, 1980