Working Women

After the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union saw a period of cultural liberalization that would come to be known as “the Thaw”. During this time, the rights of women expanded, from education becoming more accessible to the ban on abortions being lifted to women taking on more responsibilities in the work force. However, […]

Read more

Who is Katerina Lvovna Izmailova?

“The Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, written by Nikolai Leskov, features a merchants wife–Katerina Lvovna Izmailova–who is unhappy with the life she lives with her unappreciative husband.  She falls in love with a house hand by the name of Sergei, who has a history of having affairs with his masters’ wives.  Seeking to be together, Katerina and… More Who is Katerina Lvovna Izmailova?

Read more

The Lady MacBeth

In Nikolai Leskov’s famous short story “Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk Uezd”, the main character, Katerina Lvovna Izmailova, is a young woman, formerly of the peasant class, trapped in an unhappy marriage to a much older merchant.   She falls in love with a handsome and clever young servant, Sergei, and stops at nothing to try to […]

Read more