Anthology of Russian Gothic of the 19th–20th Centuries: 'Unholy Assembly'. Part 2
6 hrs. 0 min.
Language
Russian
Author
Alexander Grin
Author
Leonid Andreyev
Author
Mikhail Artsybashev
Author
Alexander Pavlovich Ivanov
Narrator
Oleg Buldakov
Narrator
Oleg Buldakov
Description
Russian Gothic… This phrase is used to describe the works of writers of the 19th century and the early 20th century that tell of horrors and the supernatural. Many authors turned to mysticism in their work, including prominent figures of the literary process. Writing a story about the inexplicable was not considered something shameful. That’s why stories like “The Terrible Fortune-Telling,” “The Queen of Spades,” and “Viy” appeared. Over time, Russian “scary” and mystical prose evolved, transforming over different periods—at some point it practically disappeared. From the “golden” to the “silver” age of Russian literature, it lived and developed to reach its apex at the beginning of the 20th century.
The anthology “Unholy Collection” presents the variety of Russian Gothic across an entire century. From Osip Senkovsky through Ivan Turgenev and Aleksei Tolstoy to Valery Bryusov, Leonid Andreev, and Alexander Grin. Not all stories included in the collection gained fame even among lovers of Russian Gothic. Such popular works as “The Family of the Vourdalak” and “The Pied Piper” sit alongside stories that are almost unknown: “The Hanging Guest” and “The Stereoscope.” But all these texts are wonderful examples not only of horrors and mysticism of past centuries, but also—simply—of classic Russian prose. And although the youngest of these stories is already nearly a century old, they can still give you goosebumps!
The anthology “Unholy Collection” presents the variety of Russian Gothic across an entire century. From Osip Senkovsky through Ivan Turgenev and Aleksei Tolstoy to Valery Bryusov, Leonid Andreev, and Alexander Grin. Not all stories included in the collection gained fame even among lovers of Russian Gothic. Such popular works as “The Family of the Vourdalak” and “The Pied Piper” sit alongside stories that are almost unknown: “The Hanging Guest” and “The Stereoscope.” But all these texts are wonderful examples not only of horrors and mysticism of past centuries, but also—simply—of classic Russian prose. And although the youngest of these stories is already nearly a century old, they can still give you goosebumps!
Contents
Aleksandr Pavlovich Ivanov - The Stereoscope (1909)
Description: Who can open the path to faded lands of the past?
Simple and double stereoscope images mysteriously draw you in—and the older the photograph, the stronger the pull. Can you just not look, but rather penetrate there—the frozen dead world?
Chrono: 1:49:25
Mikhail Artsybashev - Stronger Than Death (1912)
Description: The main character, a scientist, sets his final experiment to study the brain at the very moment of his death on the guillotine, overcoming fear of death by the power of his mind.
Chrono: 0:46:46
Leonid Andreev - He. The Story of an Unknown Person (1913)
Description: A poor beggar-like student finds a job as a tutor in a wealthy family and moves into their secluded estate by the sea. But along with material well-being comes an unclear unease. Everything here is strange—nature, people, customs… and soon events begin that have no place in a rationally arranged universe.
Chrono: 1:44:59
Alexander Grin - The Pied Piper (1924)
Description: 1920. The hero, having recovered from typhus, is left without a home in revolutionary Petrograd. He gains access to an abandoned bank building, where there’s more than enough space. In one of the rooms, he finds a hidden supply of food. Why store provisions in a place where rats can feel at home?
Soon the hero is being followed by creatures with human voices, but none of them can be properly seen. From overheard conversations, it turns out that the bank is the lair of a gang of criminals plotting to murder a man known as the Pied Piper. The Pied Piper, an old German, sees what’s happening differently—and to confirm, he finds the right place in a book from four hundred years ago…
Chrono: 1:38:51
Description: Who can open the path to faded lands of the past?
Simple and double stereoscope images mysteriously draw you in—and the older the photograph, the stronger the pull. Can you just not look, but rather penetrate there—the frozen dead world?
Chrono: 1:49:25
Mikhail Artsybashev - Stronger Than Death (1912)
Description: The main character, a scientist, sets his final experiment to study the brain at the very moment of his death on the guillotine, overcoming fear of death by the power of his mind.
Chrono: 0:46:46
Leonid Andreev - He. The Story of an Unknown Person (1913)
Description: A poor beggar-like student finds a job as a tutor in a wealthy family and moves into their secluded estate by the sea. But along with material well-being comes an unclear unease. Everything here is strange—nature, people, customs… and soon events begin that have no place in a rationally arranged universe.
Chrono: 1:44:59
Alexander Grin - The Pied Piper (1924)
Description: 1920. The hero, having recovered from typhus, is left without a home in revolutionary Petrograd. He gains access to an abandoned bank building, where there’s more than enough space. In one of the rooms, he finds a hidden supply of food. Why store provisions in a place where rats can feel at home?
Soon the hero is being followed by creatures with human voices, but none of them can be properly seen. From overheard conversations, it turns out that the bank is the lair of a gang of criminals plotting to murder a man known as the Pied Piper. The Pied Piper, an old German, sees what’s happening differently—and to confirm, he finds the right place in a book from four hundred years ago…
Chrono: 1:38:51
54:30
01. Александр Павлович Иванов - Стереоскоп (01)
54:56
01. Александр Павлович Иванов - Стереоскоп (02)
46:46
02. Михаил Арцыбашев - Сильнее смерти
26:40
03. Леонид Андреев - Он. Рассказ неизвестного (01)
25:17
03. Леонид Андреев - Он. Рассказ неизвестного (02)
32:04
03. Леонид Андреев - Он. Рассказ неизвестного (03)
20:59
03. Леонид Андреев - Он. Рассказ неизвестного (04)
27:08
04. Александр Грин - Крысолов (01)
29:41
04. Александр Грин - Крысолов (02)
22:09
04. Александр Грин - Крысолов (03)
19:53
04. Александр Грин - Крысолов (04)
