Lighthouses of Sakhalin

In “Lighthouses of Sakhalin,” the author explores the themes of the path, memories, and an island that a person perceives only after it has been heard. The writer travels more than a thousand kilometers along Sakhalin’s lighthouses—those still operating and those abandoned—turning this journey into a complex dialogue about the past, boundaries, and human resilience. The novel weaves together three plot lines: a contemporary expedition, the tragic fate of ethnographer Bronisław Pilsudski, and an ancient myth. The work became a notable literary event by making it onto the Non/fiction 27 top list. Critics note: “A modern homage to Chekhov and Platonov, a fusion of autofiction, philosophical self-exploration, and Pilsudski’s biography” (Anastasia Shevchenko, journal “Yunost”); “An outstanding achievement in domestic book publishing, deservedly included in the Non/fiction top list” (Mikhail Vizel, “Year of Literature”); “The island’s rhythm is carried by newcomers and conveyed to the reader precisely and deeply” (Belinsky Library, Yekaterinburg).