The Ghost of Gogol. Phantasmagoria. Lana Ignatieva

everything was classified so that there would be no uprising with various topics, because the Russian people were fair. There were different riots, I often fell into a riot, there was a strange anti-alcohol one and was some kind of salty and bread ones. I was a rebel by nature, but I did not come too close to others. My head was in place, my body was turned sideways.

      – And the fact that the walls of the coffin were scratched?

      – Well, that’s right, they buried me alive.

      – Why haven’t you ever had your own property?

      – I lived on a visit all the time, I had no time for this. The maid of honor, Smirnova, her family, Mr. Alexei Tolstoy always helped me, supported me and my way abroad. Tolstoy took care of me; I appreciate the cook of his wife. I couldn’t imagine myself as Tolstoy, as a person with a bunch of kids.

      – You wrote many letters to Tolstoy. Which one is of those was important for you?

      – It was the penultimate letter, I wrote it in the winter.

      – What did you read?

      – When I was a librarian, there was a base, I read all: biblical, secular, depraved, so I worked out my vocabulary. It was the knowledge of the initial letter in our time.

      – What kind of music did you like?

      – Symphonic, with timpani.

      – Why didn’t you admit then that “Alov” was yours alias?

      – It had to do with religion.

      CEMETRY

      I had my way to Novodevichie cemetery the next day, I heard the same phrase each moment: “Oh, I want something sweet so hardly”. It wasn’t difficult to find the second section, but I had to look for the 12 line, I’ve found it from the third time. The gate was open near by the grave of Gogol, it was just a huge stone and a gilded cross on it. It immediately catched the eye that many people visit and

      read Gogol in our difficult times. A strange retired woman picked up with me, Tatyana from Mytishchi, she didn’t want to let me to be alone to listen to Gogol’s prayer. There were many questions from her side, for example, what is the name of Gogol.

      – Why do you need Gogol?

      – A friend told me that she often goes to Gogol and he helps her, I sprained my leg before the New Year. Could you guide me to Tolstoy’s grave?

      I answered unwillingly all her questions, I took her to Tolstoy’s grave through a couple of rows. An interesting observation: Gogol’s grave is one of the most visited there. I was pleasantly surprised. There were flowers, lamps, and icon, something written on the tombstone, I could not see it, because there was ice on it. I placed lilies of the valley on the snow, next to the famous and mystical stone, I put uncovered jar filled with cherry jam, poured various sweets with truffles and dates.

      It seemed to me Tatyana wanted to eat, she said: “What did you do this for?

      Would you rather hand it out to someone?

      I got a feeling that she’s about to take over all that I brought, so I stayed there until

      she won’t leave. And then I went to Novodevichy and ordered forty-day memorial about the rest for Gogol

      ACTION II

      – Did you eat the jam that I brought you yesterday?

      – I was not alone, we had a feast.

      – Feast?

      – Yes.

      – Who else was there with you?

      – Two more lie next to me, so we gathered, we figured for three.

      – Was the jam tasty?

      – Delicious, I would prefer dogwood one, but with cherry it also approached.

      – Last time you said that many magical people come to your grave, what do they ask for?

      – They solve ordinary life problems, they want someone to be punished, and vice versa. Many of those who come are suing.

      – Are they suing?

      – Though that is not my specialisation. But for some reason they think that it is, they pass on something to each other there.

      – And what can you do then, and what is your specialisation?

      – I can write.

      – There are many rumors about Mikhail Bulgakov, which are true person can hardly understand. Why did Bulgakov continue his stories and after his death, he is bot with us not, but he is. He tore up and partially burned the first manuscript of “The Master and Margarita”, is it true, three times you came to Bulgakov?

      – No, we talked much more often with him.

      – Was Bulgakov in a trance when he spoke to you?

      – No, he spoke to me in the same way as you speak to me now.

      – So it means, did you came to Bulgakov yourself?

      – I had no choice, because he had works and it was necessary that they would be published, it was necessary to give those plots and to write them, but I won’t tell you which ones.

      – It was harder for him than for me. It was easier for me because I was a court jester, and he was not a jester.

      – Is it true about the “overcoat” stone? His request to you cover him with your overcoat?

      – Yes.

      – And the stone that lies on the grave of Bulgakov, was it

      really brought from the Crimea by Aksakov?

      – Is it true.