Zakhar Prilepin named his personal top 5 must-read books

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Writer and public figure Zakhar Prilepin has named his top five Russian books that everyone should read. He shared his personal list in a conversation with the press office of the National Centre RUSSIA ahead of the meeting of the Literary Club "What to Read?!", which was dedicated to the image of the father in Russian literature.

1. Gaito Gazdanov. "An Evening with Claire"

The novel "An Evening with Claire" is one of Gaito Gazdanov’s most renowned works. First published in 1930, it is a story of memory, love and a lost homeland.

The plot follows a young Russian emigrant who arrives in Paris after the revolution. There he meets Claire, a French woman he loved in his youth. He struggles with his feelings for her and his longing for his homeland.

"An Evening with Claire" is a story of love and loss — a reflection on time, fate, and the fragility of the human soul.

2. Leonid Leonov. "The Road to the Ocean"

Written in 1935, "The Road to the Ocean" is a vast philosophical novel about the search for meaning and human purpose in a rapidly changing world.

A veteran of the Civil War and head of a political department on the Soviet Union’s railway dreams of a future world without states, where people, living in universal equality, explore outer space.

"The Road to the Ocean" is a meditation on humanity, society and responsibility towards the future.

3. Mikhail Sholokhov. "And Quiet Flows the Don"

"And Quiet Flows the Don" by Mikhail Sholokhov is one of the greatest works of twentieth-century Russian literature. It is an epic about the fate of the Don Cossacks during the First World War, the revolution, and the Civil War.

At its centre is the life of Grigory Melekhov — a strong and conflicted man whose personal drama intertwines with the destiny of his people and his country. Through a story of love, loss and trials, Sholokhov reveals how historical upheavals transform human souls and destroy the familiar fabric of life.

4. Mikhail Lermontov. "A Hero of Our Time"

"A Hero of Our Time" is the first psychological novel in Russian literature and one of Mikhail Lermontov’s masterpieces.

In search of new sensations, a disillusioned young officer wins women’s hearts and engages in perilous adventures. Unable to find happiness or peace, he brings tragedy upon himself and those around him.

The novel explores the human soul, loneliness, and the consequences of spiritual emptiness.

5. Alexander Terekhov. "The Stone Bridge"

"The Stone Bridge" is one of the most powerful works of contemporary Russian literature, combining documentary precision with artistic imagination.

The novel is based on a tragic event that took place in 1943. In it, the author reflects on the nature of power, fear, guilt, and the hopelessness of the Soviet era.

"The Stone Bridge" is a meditation on the twentieth century, where a private tragedy becomes a metaphor for the fate of the entire nation.