Grand Prince Mikhail of Tver

16 hrs. 45 min.

Romance & Prose

Language Russian

Author Nikolay Fudel

Narrator Andrey Leonov

Description

What is this book about?

The historical novel “Mikhail Tverskoy,” written by Nikolai Fudel in the late 1960s, first appeared in 1996 under the title “The Yoke.” At the center of the novel is the powerful and significant figure of Mikhail Vasilyevich, Prince of Tver—nephew of Alexander Nevsky. The gripping story of the centuries-long confrontation between the Moscow and Tver principalities (lasting two centuries), deep psychological insight, and the force of images, along with the density of historical events, create a special expressiveness and dynamism of the text typical of many works from Nikolai Fudel’s historical series.

Why did we decide to publish this book?

Until 1996, the book circulated for twenty years in samizdat form: the author was the son of the religious writer and theologian Sergei Fudel, who was subjected to repression in Soviet times, so back then it was printed extremely rarely and only under the pseudonym “Nikolai Plotnikov.” Now it’s time to catch up on what was missed.

Who is this book for?

For everyone interested in Russian history and who loves good prose.

The “highlight” of the edition

History can only be understood by feeling the time—by penetrating the consciousness of generations long gone. For this, it’s not enough to know documentary facts or use stylized ancient vocabulary. Here, N. S. Fudel’s rare writer’s gift fully comes through—the gift marked by a subtle knowledge of human nature, the deep psychological character of his prose. With talent, Fudel seems to “read” people’s thoughts, guess the inner nerve and essential core of the hero’s personality, and virtuously creates an entire gallery of vivid characters—psychological archetypes of the era. The dialogues, and above all the characters’ internal monologues, are written so precisely and sound with such credibility that you can’t help but believe the author without reservation.