My CMS

Yana opened the door to her apartment and paused on the threshold, as she had gotten used to doing in recent years. A spacious living room with high ceilings, large windows letting in sunlight, parquet floors her parents had laid with their own hands. A three-room apartment in the city center—an inheritance she received after … Read more

Morning was like any other morning: a gray mug with half-finished coffee, a plate with a lonely piece of bread, and car keys tossed onto the table so the keychain gave a plaintive jingle. Tatyana sat on the edge of a stool, holding her cup with both hands as if it weren’t coffee at all, … Read more

Arina came home from work late in the evening, tired and hungry. The day had been rough—reports, meetings, and sorting out a conflict with suppliers. She worked as a procurement manager for a major retail chain; her schedule was flexible, and sometimes she had to stay until eight at night. Today was exactly one of … Read more

We’re up to our ears in debt, collectors are already ringing the doorbell, and you’re thinking about going to the sea?” the mother-in-law shrieked, clutching the left side of her chest. “You’ve got no conscience, Irka! Hand over your vacation pay if you’re so rich!” Lyudmila Arkadyevna collapsed theatrically onto a worn kitchen stool, her … Read more

Lena stood in front of the hallway mirror, studying her reflection. A gray turtleneck, old jeans, hair pulled into a careless ponytail. When was the last time she bought herself something new? Six months ago? A year? She ran a hand over her face, noticing the new little wrinkles near her eyes. Thirty-two, yet she … Read more

Mom didn’t open the door right away. First the chain slid, then her face appeared—older now, deep lines gathered around her mouth. I was holding a basket of fruit, my fingers gripping the handle so hard my knuckles turned white. Palm Sunday. Aunt Elena had talked me into trying. “Mom, I wanted to…” She looked … Read more

Marina had always been proud of her apartment. A two-room place on the fourth floor of a prefabricated panel building—not luxury, of course, but her own. She’d saved for the down payment for four years, working as a manager at a trading company, denying herself trips and new clothes. When she finally got the keys, … Read more

Elena set the grocery bag down on the floor so she could fish her keys out of her purse. The fourth floor, as always, left her a little out of breath—the elevator in their building had been out of order for three weeks now. She lifted her head and froze. On the landing in front … Read more

Alena opened the door and immediately saw Tamara Viktorovna on the threshold. Her mother-in-law came in without waiting to be invited, took off her shoes, and went straight to the kitchen. Alena closed the door behind her and sighed. Here we go again. The remarks, the advice no one asked for, the disapproving looks. Tamara … Read more

Ksenia opened the banking app on her phone and once again counted the amount in her savings account. Two million three hundred and seventy thousand rubles. Five years. Five long years of cutting back on everything. Ksenia and Andrey lived in a cramped one-room apartment—thirty square meters—which they rented for eighteen thousand a month. The … Read more