Another confirmation that talented people are talented in everything is Ilya Efimovich Repin’s memoir book “Distant, Close.” The famous Russian painter, master of portraits and historical canvases, turns out to have been an outstanding memoirist as well. His autobiographical book includes descriptions of his childhood and youth, his parents, friends, and his years of study at the Academy of Arts, and also an account of an entire era in Russian history. In addition, separate chapters are devoted to the memory of Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy, Valentin Alexandrovich Serov, Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy—as well as a trip along the Volga and the history of how the famous “Burlaks” (barge haulers) were created.
Also, don’t miss the earlier audio books of memoirs: O. Arosev “Without Makeup,” S. Yursky “The Last Role of Ranevskaya/Georgy Tovstonogov,” V. Smekhоv “When I Was Athos,” A. Shirvindt “The Past Without Thoughts,” Y. Solomin “From an Adjutant to His Excellency,” K. Korovin “Memoirs,” K. Petrov-Vodkin “Khlynovsk,” K. Petrov-Vodkin “The Space of Euclid,” F. Shalyapin “Mask and Soul,” Konstantin Korovin “Memoirs.”