The Fables of Ivan Krylov

Ivan Krylov has been loved by Russian people for two hundred years for his Fables, works in which he gently satirizes the manifold weaknesses and failings of human beings, especially figures of authority, while at the same time praising and holding up for emulation the qualities in ordinary people of selflessness, industry, loyalty, love, friendship, perseverance...e۬Solid, earthy common sense and a long acquaintance with the ways of the world lie at the root of Krylov's observations. Some of the Fables are no more than humorous glimpses of life and human nature, or snapshots of the bizarre preoccupations of fantasists, eccentrics, idealists and dreamers. Others offer wry, sardonic glimpses of life, and human relationships and behaviour. Yet others offer wise advice on the conduct of life, or are "cautionary tales": warnings about the consequences of ill-considered behaviour.

Ivan Andreyevitch Krylov was born near St. Petersburg in 1769 into a poor family of the minor nobility. Krylov trained for the civil service, but from his early years nurtured literary ambitions. At the age of forty he published his first book of Fables, works written after the manner of Aesop and La Fontaine. They were an instant success, and were followed over the next 35 years by another eight books. He became a celebrated and much-loved literary figure. After his death in 1844 his reputation continued to grow: streets were named after him and many monuments were erected to his memory.

Stephen Pimenoff was born in Montreal in 1948 of Russian and Estonian parents. He read English and Mathematics at McGill University, and has been a writer and mathematics teacher. As a freelance journalist he has published many articles in The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, as well as a wide variety of magazines ranging from Homes and Gardens to Index on Censorship.
His main interest is the study of Russian language, literature and history, and he is currently working on a translation of 19th century Russian Fairy Tales by Alexander Afanasev.