Anna Karenina
Set in late 19th-century Russia, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, which begins with one of the most memorable lines in literary history, is an all-in-one story: it's a moving romance, a family saga, and an early example of stream-of-consciousness narration. The central story arc follows Anna Karenina, a high-society woman who leaves her husband for a life-changing yet ill-fated romance with a young and handsome army officer.
Anna Karenina (1967) – a classic production starring the “Russian Audrey Hepburn” Tatyana Samoylova
Anna Karenina (2012) – a British-American production with a star-studded cast feat. Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and others
Crime and Punishment
Widely admired from east to west, Fyodor Dostoevsky is best known for his “big five” books, the first one being Crime and Punishment. It is a story of Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor student who commits a murder and has to deal with the aftermath, both physical and psychological. Blending elements of drama, thriller, and crime novels, the book is chock-full of philosophical reflections, biblical references, and atmospheric descriptions of St. Petersburg.
Crime and Punishment (1969) – a classic black-and-white movie in two parts, clocking in at almost four hours
Crime and Punishment (2002) – a 3-hour-long BBC series feat. actors John Simm (Doctor Who) and Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars)
Crime and Punishment (2007) – this Russian TV adaptation is the most faithful to the original
Eugene Onegin
Written by Alexander Pushkin, often proudly hailed as Russia’s everything, Eugene Onegin is just as impressive as the author himself. This verse novel, which portrays the life of Russian nobility in the 19th century, is often referred to as Pushkin's masterwork and even an "encyclopedia of Russian life.” The plot centers on an ill-timed romance between Tatyana Larina, a humble young woman, and Eugene Onegin, a bored aristocratic dandy.
Eugene Onegin (1959) – a Soviet opera film in color;
Onegin (1999) – a British-American production starring alums of the Harry Potter (Ralph Fiennes) and Lord of the Rings (Liv Tyler) franchises
Onegin (2024) – this freshly-released Russian adaptation pulls out all the stops with spectacular sets, costumes, and more
The Master and Margarita
The real and the surreal, the political and the biblical, the satirical and the heartfelt – all these qualities mix perfectly in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. The novel depicts the Devil and his loyal henchmen – including a few merciless demons, a female witch-and-vampire in one, and everyone’s favorite talking cat – as they pay a visit to Moscow one summer day.
The Master and Margarita (2005) – a classic true-to-the-source TV series featuring a clever interplay of scenes in color and sepia
The Master and Margarita (2023) – the most recent Russian adaptation with a state-of-the-art take that blends the author’s biography with the story and features August Diehl from Inglourious Basterds as the main villain
And Quiet Flows the Don
Much in the same vein as Tolstoy’s War and Peace, And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov is often seen as an intimidating read; because of not only its size (~1,800 pages long), but also a myriad of characters and even more so – the hard-to-grasp dialectisms. This multi-volume epic chronicles the life of Don Cossack Grigory Melekhov – his struggles, love interests, and changing beliefs – through Russia’s turbulent times: one war, then a revolution, then war again.
And Quiet Flows the Don (1957) – a classic film adaptation in three parts, over 5 hours long
And Quiet Flows the Don (2015) – the most recent Russian adaptation with a fresher take but same attention to detail
Check the Movies and Books tags for more pop culture recommendations.
