The Adoration of the Magi

A new novel by the well-known prose writer and poet Yevgeny Abdullayev, who writes under the pseudonym Sukhbat Aflatooni, spans a vast period in the history of Russia—from the mid-19th century to the present day—and tells the story of the Triyarski family. Its progenitor, Nikolai—a young architect with progressive views—was close to the revolutionary circle of Petrashevsky and to the secret society of the “Wizards,” but he was persecuted by the ruling emperor. Nikolai was exiled to Kyrgyzstan, where he truly confronted “the people” for whom he had been planning a coup—but he hardly knew that “people.”

And Nikolai’s sister, Varvara, became the emperor’s mistress to save her brother from execution—so she bore the tsar’s child…

A complex family and love drama is set against the backdrop of the country’s own upheaval, which moved from monarchy to democracy and the Red Terror. And all of this intertwines with a thrilling biblical story of the birth of Jesus—mirroring the terrible modern reality…

Aflatooni’s astonishing poetic writing style places his work alongside the novels of Yevgeny Vodolazkin and Alexander Ilichevsky.