Aleksei Timofeyevich Cherkasov (1915—1973) — Soviet writer-prose author, creator of the famous trilogy “Tales of the People of the Taiga” (“Hops,” “The Red Horse,” “Black Poplar”), born in the Yenisei Governorate (now Krasnoyarsk Krai) and a descendant of a deported Decembrist—an outstanding talent with a complicated fate.
His early novel “The Day Begins” (1949) is devoted to the working routine of Soviet geologists. At the center of the plot is a conflict between the protagonist—a passionate seeker and dreamer—and the indifferent surroundings.
The novel has local-history interest. It’s recommended to readers who want to learn more about Krasnoyarsk Krai, customs and daily life of the postwar era, as well as to fans of Russian regional sagas (“The Intractable River,” “In the Forests” / “On the Mountains,” “The Stone Belt,” “Eternal Call,” and others).