How It Was Done in Odessa

2 hrs. 0 min.

Audio Plays, Radio Productions & Literary Readings

Language Russian

Author Isaac Babel

Narrators Lev Durov, Emmanuel Vitorgan

Narrator Lev Durov

Narrator Emmanuel Vitorgan

Description

What would you say about Benya Krik and Froim Grakh? If you really have nothing to say, then listen to what people in Moldavanka and Deribasovskaya say about them.
Especially since in this wonderful radio play, wonderful actors do a fine job as well. Evgeny Knyazev plays Benya Krik, Lev Durov plays Arye-Leiba, Emmanuil Vitorgan plays Froim Grakh, and the lead female role is played by Galina Tyunina, who has recently taken part in both the “Night” and “Day” patrols. The off-screen author’s voice is provided by Kirill Pirogov, a star of “Brother-2,” “Sisters,” and “Azzazel.” Good company, all in all. And the author of the text—Odessan Isaak Babel, who at one time, during the era when he was not being published, Maxym Gorky himself gave a practical piece of advice: “Go among people, gather life impressions”—he very much indeed did. The cycle of his Odessa stories, from which the material for this radio play was drawn, is very lifelike. So lifelike that we simply cannot believe the words once spoken by Budyonny: “I demand that those whom the degenerate from literature Babel flings with the spit of class hatred be protected from irresponsible slander.” He doesn’t fling anyone with spit; and if he does, then in the right direction.