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The restaurant Maxim chose was on the top floor of one of Stalin’s high-rises. It wasn’t flashy so much as exclusive—statusy, for insiders. Lena stepped into the dim hall where soft music mingled with the clink of glasses. Maxim was already waiting at a table by the window, with a breathtaking view of the night-time … Read more

Lika was just finishing her coffee during the break between appointments—a warm, slightly bitter sip was supposed to perk her up before the next couple of hours of intense work. She set the cup on the table and reached for a napkin when, with a loud clatter, a chair dropped down beside her. Alla, an … Read more

“So,” the notary—a woman in her fifties with perfectly even eyebrows (drawn on, of course)—opened a folder. “Nadezhda Pavlovna Zavyalova, your aunt, passed away on the third. The will was made in the presence of two witnesses and notarized six months ago. The heir…” She narrowed her eyes and gave a slight nod. “Is you. … Read more

Mom, I can’t live like this anymore!” Kristina’s voice trembled with strain, and she nervously clasped her fingers, digging her nails into her palms. The girl looked desperate. Tamara lifted her eyes from the cup she was filling with fragrant bergamot tea. The woman’s gaze held genuine worry for her younger daughter, who, alas, had … Read more

Mom decided to go through motherhood a second time differently: she focused on early development, ditched diapers and store-bought baby purées, and cooked everything herself. And Masha thought that meant hiking was over. But a year later her mom called and asked Masha: “Can you watch Nika this weekend? We’ve got a training trip. Normally … Read more

Ol, hang in there. My aunt from St. Petersburg called—same kind of story… only her mother-in-law moved in with a dog.” “Just don’t freak out, okay?” Pyotr peeked into the kitchen with the look of a cat that’s stolen a chicken leg and is now waiting for someone to chase him with a slipper. Olga … Read more

It happened on a Friday evening. I walked into the apartment carrying a large velvet box, feeling a little guilty—but happy at the same time. For the first time in many years, I’d bought myself not just a thing, but a luxury. A real mink coat the color of bitter chocolate. It was my bonus, … Read more

Other People’s Problems The air in the coffee shop was thick and sweet, scented with freshly ground coffee, vanilla, and the damp wool of passersby coming in from the street, where the October rain tapped out a slow, melancholy rhythm on the asphalt. Katerina sat by the window, cradling a warm porcelain cup in her … Read more

Part 1. A Parasite on the Household Budget Inga pulled up by the entrance, turned off the engine, but didn’t hurry to get out. The cabin smelled of gasoline and worn upholstery, yet that smell was dearer to her than what waited at home. She worked as a shift supervisor at a major logistics warehouse, … Read more

— “Lena, dear… so have you already signed the deed of gift over to Petenka? For the inheritance, I mean?” Lena froze mid-watering the plants. Her mother-in-law, Olga Igorevna, hadn’t even taken off her coat, which smelled of naphthalene and stale theatre velvet. She stood in the hallway of their tiny two-room flat, surveying the … Read more