Village of Goryukhino
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“The History of the Village of Goryukhino” is part of a series of fictional stories included in Pushkin’s, “Belkin’s Stories,” which was completed and published in 1831. Pushkin begins this story in a unique manner, “If God sends me readers, they might be curious to know how it was that I decided to write The History of the Village of Goryukhino. For that I must go into a few preliminary details.” Here is the first paragraph from the story:
“ The form of government in Goryukhino has changed several times. It has been by turns under the rule of elders chosen by the community, under stewards appointed by the landowners, and finally under the direct control of the landowners themselves. The advantages and disadvantages of these different forms of government will be expanded upon in the course of my narrative. The founding of Goryukhino and its initial population are shrouded in the darkness of the unknown. Obscure legends tell us that Goryukhino was once a rich and extensive village, that its inhabitants were all well-to-do, that its quitrent was collected once a year and sent to no one knew whom on several carts. In that time everything was brought cheaply and sold dearly. Stewards did not exist, the headmen offended nobody, the inhabitants worked little and lived in clover, and the shepherds tended the flocks in boots .”