Adam and Eve

Historical Context and Significance

Mikhail Bulgakov's play «Adam and Eve», written in 1931, was an artistic response to the anxious premonitions of an era when the clouds of totalitarianism and technological disaster were gathering over the world. In this work, Bulgakov, with his characteristic irony and philosophical depth, explores the theme of apocalypse, opposing the destructive power of human folly and cruelty to the indomitable thirst for life, love, and hope. The play, long banned, became a symbol of the artist's inner freedom, his ability to speak of the most intimate things through a veil of allegory and fantastic imagery. The influence of «Adam and Eve» manifested itself in the subsequent development of Russian drama and literature, inspiring authors to seek new forms of expressing existential anxiety and faith in humanity even on the brink of extinction. This work became part of the cultural code, reminding us of the fragility of the world and the responsibility each person bears for its future.