1. Woe from Mind
Pushkin predicted the fate of the comedy “Woe from Wit”: “Half of the [verses] should become a proverb.” His prophecy came true.
“Serve would be a joy, to pester would be sickening.”
“Happy hours are not observed”—along with many other lines, these phrases became catchwords and immortalized the comedy.
Whether wise or foolish—Chatsky can be debated endlessly.
2. Young Spouses
A free adaptation of a popular comedy by the French playwright, a kind of tribute to 18th-century literature.
3. The Student
“The Student” is the product of ironic teasing of contemporary poets who wrote in a sentimental-elegiac manner. The main character arrives in the capital from the provinces as a budding writer…