After reading the manuscript of the novel “Poor Folk,” Nekrasov passed it on to Belinsky, saying that a new Gogol had appeared. This novel is presented as a sentimental correspondence between not-so-wealthy characters—little official Makar Devushkin and Varenka Dobroselova. This is a sad story of their ill-fated love, which also serves as a detailed socio-psychological study of the realities of the author’s time. The writer feels strong sympathy for his heroes, whose inner nobility and beauty sharply contrast with their harsh living conditions.