Raise the Sails!

Ilya Ilyin (real name: Ilya Khasanovich Chvyr, b. 1957) is a Russian journalist, playwright, and children’s writer. In the recent past, he was the chief editor of the print edition of the humorous magazine “Yeralash.” He collaborated with other children’s publications and took part in film projects, including work on the screenplay for the film “Voroshilovsky Shooter.”

The plot of the children’s story “Raise the Sails!” takes place in the last quarter of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine the Great. The storyline of the book is based on an early biography of a real historical figure—the famous Russian navigator and traveler Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin. The hero of the story is a twelve-year-old son from an old noble family. After the death of his father and mother, he is placed by relatives acting as guardians into the Naval Cadet Corps. Vasily awaits a journey full of adventures to Kronstadt, difficult studies, and life at sea. In victorious battles against the Swedish squadron, he receives his baptism in arms and his first award… Listen to the captivating story of a young midshipman, and at the same time learn a great deal about the Russian sailing fleet—about the turbulent events of Catherine’s “Golden Age.”