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Anonymous asked:

Hello. I hope you have been experiencing good fortune as of late. Apologies for intruding upon your inbox, though I have been wondering about something, that being whether or not you have read any Turgenev or Chekhov. I understand that you have immersed yourself in Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Goncharov, and Gogol (though I know he is Ukrainian, he is widely acknowledged as having a major influence on Russian literature, hence why I include him). Thus, I figured I might inquire about your thoughts on these two and see if, even if you have not read them, you have any particular opinion about reading their works in the future. You have my thanks for bothering to entertain my curiosity.

Hello. Thank you for your kind wishes. I unfortunately have not had the opportunity as of late to immerse myself in neither Turgenev nor Chekhov. They are highly respected authors of which I hope to read and enjoy soon. I am afraid I only know adequately of Chekhov, whose works Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull I anticipate to read by the end of this year. I only know of Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons and even so, not sufficiently.

I truly believe that I will grow fond of Chekhov for, his distinct eloquence of his works illustrate a wholly original and heartfelt story. He appears to portray a different perspective on the popular genre of Russian realism at the time, being rather late into the trend. Turgenev is slightly comical to me as I am familiar with him only through Goncharov, who suffered from deep paranoia, believed plagiarism of his works on Turgenev’s part.

Thank you for allowing me to speak shamelessly of my love for Russian literature, for there is still much I do not know and wish to seek. I hope I will come across less popular authors with stories of great significance to me and I can branch out to more areas of Eastern European literature. I thank you again for taking interest in my opinion, and bearing the length of my response. I wish a pleasant day upon you.

Anonymous asked:

Hi. I used to think you are intimidating, but I don’t think that anymore. I also like your opinions on things in general and I love your blog. Sorry if I bother

Hello. I am glad you have found amusement in the whims of my fancy. I wish you a nice day.

I have begun Tolstoy’s ‘The Cossacks.’ I have never read a more serene exploration of the disillusioned man than this. ‘So when you die, the grass will grow?’ ‘Why shouldn’t one be the one to love? Love doesn’t just come like that. No, to be loved is a misfortune.’ ‘—that happiness lies not in killing, but in sacrificing oneself?’

Olenin is wounded by his own ignorance, but is one who feels as deeply as though he is burdened with suffering. He feels quite bluntly of Cossacks’ grace and the Caucasus’ beauty, of which Moscow had obscured from him. He curses the hollowness of his soul, quite determined to replace its emptiness with a conscience of selflessness. Tolstoy has always been one to write of these men.

#tolstoy.#the cossacks.#olenin.
memories-of-ancients
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blueiskewl

Greek Temple Complex Reveals Thousands of Votive Figurines

Archaeologists excavating a hilltop sanctuary on the Aegean Sea island of Kythnos have discovered “countless” pottery offerings left by ancient worshippers over the centuries, Greece’s Culture Ministry said Wednesday.

A ministry statement said the finds from work this year included more than 2,000 intact or almost complete clay figurines, mostly of women and children but also some of male actors, as well as of tortoises, lions, pigs and birds.

Several ceremonial pottery vessels that were unearthed are linked with the worship of Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, to whom the excavated sanctuary complex was dedicated.

The seaside site of Vryokastro on Kythnos was the ancient capital of the island, inhabited without break between the 12th century B.C. and the 7th A.D., when it was abandoned for a stronger position during a period of pirate raids.

The artifacts came from the scant ruins of the two small temples, a long building close by that may have served as a temple storeroom and a nearby pit where older offerings were buried to make space for new ones. The sanctuary was in use for about a thousand years, starting from the 7th century B.C.

The excavation by Greece’s University of Thessaly and the Culture Ministry also found luxury pottery imported from other parts of Greece, ornate lamps and fragments of ritual vases used in the worship of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, an ancient Athens suburb.

It is unclear to what extent the site on Kythnos was associated with Eleusis — one of the most important religious centers in ancient Greece, where the goddesses were worshipped during secret rites that were only open to initiates forbidden to speak of what they saw. The sanctuary at Eleusis is known to have owned land on the island.

Kythnos, in the Cyclades island group, was first inhabited about 10,000 years ago. Its copper deposits were mined from the 3rd millennium B.C., and in Roman times it was a place of political exile.

The excavations are set to continue through 2025.

#greece.#archaeology.#excavation.