The Oven

This book is not just a chronicle of one of the most famous Russian brands—it is an honest account of the path that was taken. How, from a few trading stalls at Petersburg markets, SELA grew into a company that became not only a business, but also part of the cultural code of an entire generation. And how moving forward over time turned into a personal spiritual practice.

Arkadiy Pekarevsky doesn’t play the role of a winner and doesn’t embellish the past. He speaks plainly about life in a коммуналка apartment and the 90s shortages, about the first steps in entrepreneurship, about painful defeats that hurt pride, and about unexpected “miracles” that happened back then—when faith and a sense of humor turned out to be stronger than fear.

This book is for those who are looking for meaning in their work and want to build a business in harmony with life, not against it. For those who understand that behind any results stand not only calculations and strategy, but also inner substance. This is a story about people, about choices, about a personal compass—and about how to preserve humanity in a world that is constantly changing.