laying the situation bare and leaving judgement up to us is not enough

Perm (or Пермь) is 700 miles from Moscow.

– Пермь [фото царской России]

– Андрей Петров Калганов, его сын и его внучка. [фото царской России]

take hold of what’s left of your life and save it…

– Chekhov, quoted in Michael Pennington’s, Are You There, Crocodile?, p. 165

When in doubt, Chekhov should be humorous.

– Ibid.

– [фото царской России]

Russia is an enormous plain across which wander mischievous men, convincing our people that their crass prejudices are the truth, as if some beautiful future could justify deceiving them now.

– Chekhov quoted, in ibid., p. 168

– вид с Волгой [фото царской России]

– [фото царской России]