"The Stereoscope" and Other Mystical Tales from St. Petersburg

The tales in this annotated collection share three common characteristics. They were written in the early twentieth century, during the so-called Silver Age, a period of artistic renaissance in Russia and an important part of the larger European Belle Époque. Their action takes place in St. Petersburg, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a splendid imperial capital, which, in addition to being the cradle of modern Russian culture, became its major subject and theme. And finally, all of them belong to the mystical or fantastic genres. The centerpiece of the collection—Alexander Ivanov’s “Stereoscope” (1909), a forgotten gem of fantastic literature and a pioneering museum adventure tale, is also an early example of fiction about photography. None of these stories have been published in English before.

Dan Ungurianu has a degree in history from Moscow State University and in Slavic languages and literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Professor of Russian Studies at Vassar College. Elena Ungurianu studies art history and linguistics at Yale University.