Count Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy is a famous writer who made a significant contribution to Russian literature in both the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods. In the partially autobiographical novella “Nikita’s Childhood,” the author managed to convey with astonishing accuracy that nameless happiness and enjoyment of life that can be found only during carefree childhood. That’s exactly what the main character of the novella, the boy Nikita, feels. Listen to this work—now a classic of children’s literature—performed by the wonderful actor Ivan Litvinov.