"Bulgakov spent his entire life writing his own Faust": Nikolai Zharinov at Literary Club "What to Read?!" of the National Centre RUSSIA

To write a "Russian Faust" without merely repeating Goethe, but instead creating a new and independent world while remaining accessible to every reader — this was the almost impossible task that Mikhail Bulgakov set himself. This was the subject of a talk by philologist and writer Nikolai Zharinov at the meeting of the Literary Club "What to Read?!" at the National Centre RUSSIA.

"For Bulgakov, theatre was a sacred space, but the theme of Faust was even more important. It was a thread running from his childhood through his entire life. It can be heard in ‘The White Guard’ and ‘Heart of a Dog’: who is Professor Preobrazhensky if not a Doctor Faust figure, someone who takes upon himself the right to interfere with the mystery of human nature, who 'creates' a new person, almost a homunculus? And, of course, 'The Master and Margarita' is a direct continuation of this theme, with explicit references to Goethe," Nikolai Zharinov emphasised.

The participants of the Literary Club "What to Read?!" learned about the lives of great writers, hidden layers within their works, real-life stories that inspired iconic scenes, and some of the most unexpected facts about the creative legacies of two literary geniuses. These topics formed the basis of the intellectual debate "Battle of Talents: Dostoevsky vs Bulgakov", where father and son took opposing sides of the literary barricades: Yevgeny Zharinov argued on behalf of Fyodor Dostoevsky, while philologist, cultural historian and writer Nikolai Zharinov defended Mikhail Bulgakov.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The event concluded with an audience vote. The majority of participants — 55 percent — sided with Dostoevsky, while the remaining 45 percent chose Bulgakov. Interest in the two classics remains not only a subject of discussion among critics and scholars but also a measurable reading phenomenon. In 2025, total sales of Russian classical literature exceeded 1.35 million copies. Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" became the bestseller, overtaking Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita", which had been the leading favourite in recent years. Today, "Crime and Punishment" gains more than 200 new readers every day, clearly demonstrating that the debate over whose literary legacy has a stronger impact on contemporary readers is far from purely academic.

The Literary Club "What to Read?!" is an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA. Its meetings encourage participants to look at familiar texts from a new perspective, discover in classical literature a living conversation about the present day, and appreciate that literature remains a space for personal choice and meaning. Participation in the club's events and other educational programmes at the National Centre RUSSIA is free of charge with prior registration on the Centre’s website in the "Events" section.