Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka(1829-1832)

The stories in this collection take place in small villages of the Russian Empire. Gogol makes extensive use of provincial slang and local folklore, describing little Russian customs and the folk way of life. The stories are very diverse, from the cheerful ‘Night Before Christmas’ to the pure horror in ‘Terrible Vengeance’. They’re united by fully-fledged characters – evil spirits, devils and witches!

The collection was warmly received by contemporaries – Alexander Pushkin himself, for example, was delighted with the lively language and imagery. The stories have been adapted for the screen in Russia more than 10 times. Despite the horror of some of the plots, several cartoons have also been created based on them.

Translated by Constance Garnett, Publisher Chatto & Windus, 1926