Who Can Be Happy and Free in Russia

Interesting Facts

• The book is a poem written in the form of an epic work.
• The work consists of seven parts, each dedicated to different aspects of peasant life in Russia.
• The main characters of the book are seven peasants who embark on a journey across Russia to find out who lives happily.
• The poem is written in a folk style, using folkloric elements and dialects.
• Nekrasov worked on the poem for over 14 years but did not complete it before his death.
• The work reflects the social and economic problems of 19th-century Russia, such as serfdom and poverty.
• The poem features numerous characters representing various social strata, from peasants to landowners and officials.
• Nekrasov uses elements of satire and irony in the poem to critique social injustices.
• The work was banned by censorship in the Russian Empire and was first fully published only after the author's death.