In the once-quiet provincial town of Chupovo, serious passions erupted. Local politicians prepare to fight for temporarily absent power, while the giant landfill on the outskirts grows faster than election campaigns unfold. The looming environmental catastrophe becomes a convenient tool to manipulate voters. On opposite sides of this foul conflict find themselves former colleagues, friends, and spouses. Everything that once connected them—views, dreams, interests, even their shared place of residence and work—becomes part of the past. There’s nowhere to retreat or move forward, something has to change. In December 2020, the novel “Formerly Lenina” was awarded the National Literary Prize “Big Book.”