Overlooked Russian greats: Zoshchenko

If you want to understand Russian humor, Mikhail Zoshchenko (1894-1958) is essential reading. This renowned Soviet satirist masterfully captured the everyday life and comical absurdities of the ordinary Soviet person in the early decades of the USSR. 

He regarded ‘Before Sunrise’ – an autobiographical novel in which he researched his own fears like a psychologist and philosopher – as his magnum opus, though it was met with severe criticism.