The Day God Was Gone

In the early 2000s, a story unfolds in a southern mining town about 15-year-old Marina and 17-year-old Zhenya, who try to break out of routine and find themselves. Marina, having survived disappointment in love and her friend’s betrayal, seeks comfort in the Mormon church. Zhenya, with no clear goal, tries simply to go with the flow. Their lives intertwine, and each of them faces inner demons while going through the trials of growing up. Even though the town seems plunged into darkness, hope for the light remains.

“Day When God Disappeared” presents southern gothic in a Russian reality, giving Rostov Oblast an almost mythological status. It’s a story about growing up and accepting yourself, set against the backdrop of a hot provincial city, deftly balancing between the styles of Harper Lee and Vera Bogdanova.

Marina Chufistova is a writer from Rostov-on-Don, a graduate of the literary workshop of Yevgeny Babushkin and a finalist of the “Lyceum” prize.