7 Russian Books By Women For Women

Russian literature, though world-renowned, has also been traditionally dominated by men. However, recent times have seen a number of female writers taking Russian literature by storm. If you’re looking to expand your literary horizons, check out our round-up of Russian books written by women, for women.

The Time of Women by Elena Chizhova

The Time of Women is considered to be a groundbreaking work in contemporary Russian literature. It opened the era of female writers who are now reclaiming the literary scene for themselves. The Time of Women tells a story of three generations of women who tell the difficult history of Soviet and Tsarist Russia filtered through their own experience, which is a truly revolutionary project in Russian public narrative.

War’s Unwomanly Face by Svetlana Alexievich

Selected Poems by Marina Tsvetaeva

Poetry takes a very special place in the hearts of many Russians. Out of all the poets who were ever writing in the Russian language, Tsvetaeva is one of the most loved. She wrote poems about love, rejection and life in the difficult times of the Revolution in a way that can touch even the most prosaic of people. To this day Tsvetaeva is more of a character of popular culture than simply an entry to be ticked off on the school reading list.

Sonechka by Lyudmila Ulitskaya

Sonechka is the tale of a woman in her journey through life. A rejected book lover and librarian, Sonechka accepts an unexpected proposal and then travels around the country with her husband, eventually becoming entangled in a very strange, difficult relationship with her husband’s lover. Sonechka is a story about love, sacrifice, kindness, with rejection and women as central characters in the plot.

Selected Poems by Vera Polozkova

Vera Polozkova is yet further proof that poetry is still an important part of Russia’s popular culture. She is a pioneer of the phenomenon of internet poetry, initially gaining popularity by publishing her poems on her blog. She drew the attention of publishers and published her works in print. She is active on social media, and also tours the country with a show based on her poems.

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbour’s Baby by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbour’s Baby is a collection of scary short stories by Lyudmila Petrusheskaya, one of Russia’s most important contemporary writers. Each of the stories is a perfect diagnosis of universal problems, described in a nuanced, subtle way.

Requiem by Anna Akhmatova

Anna Akhmatova is another extremely popular 20th century Russian poet. Her life was no easier than that of Tsvetaeva, and this in itself finds its reflection in her poetry. Requiem is an elegy on the Stalinist terror, written over the course of 30 years. Akhmatova carried her work with her, completing and updating it. Finished in 1961, it was first published in the USSR in 1987 (it had previously been published in Russian in Munich in 1963), and is widely acknowledged as an intricate, moving work.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.