Inhale, exhale

This book contains two novellas about life in the Russian provinces. This is not a romanticized view of village life, but it is not a story about how terrifying it is to live there, either. There are no comparisons or contrasts here at all. It is a very calm, slow-paced narrative about the inhabitants of remote corners of the world, from which the reader learns just how much the life of city dwellers can differ from life in the provinces. People here have a completely different daily routine, different cares and joys, a different pace, and children have a different kind of childhood. People still travel by cart here and rise with the first rooster. Everyone knows each other and sometimes meddles in their neighbor's business, but on the other hand, when needed, they help out as a whole community. Here, lingonberries that have overwintered under the snow are a favorite treat, and any guest is sure to be seated at the table and fed soup. People here spend almost all their time in the fresh air, which is why nature means so much to the locals.

There are no dramatic events in these novellas; the plot is sketched out in dotted lines—these are just captured episodes from the lives of ordinary people, their outlook on life, landscapes, and atmosphere... At times, this book is slightly reminiscent of Astafyev's "Vasyutka's Lake"—those who love "village prose" writers will surely enjoy these novellas too.

And it is impossible to overlook the illustrations, created by twin sisters Anna and Varvara Kendel. They were born and raised in the Urals, and now live in St. Petersburg and adore traveling around Russia. The artists are in love with the northern landscape, and it is the main protagonist of their work. Through them, the viewer enters a vast, airy space, cool and fresh, and senses the smells of the taiga, the earth, and the snow. The villages in these pictures are very realistic, but at the same time, they are not depressing; they are cozy, with houses painted in bright colors and windows decorated with carved frames and lace curtains. And inside the dwellings, we see openwork doilies, patchwork quilts, and crystal jars of jam—what a poetic vision of the northern backwoods! And it matches the atmosphere of the text 100%.