Seven Versts to Heaven

The novel depicts an invasion of Rus’ by Moorish troops from distant African lands. Rus’ faces destruction, but the son of the Moorish king, Arsen, unexpectedly falls in love with the daughter of the grand prince of the Rusich people, Ksenia. Their love will now determine the outcome of a bloody battle. The novel includes all the fairy-tale characters: kikimoras, mermaids, talking animals, forest spirits (leshies), and mighty heroes with boundless strength.