Evenings on a farm near Dikanka

Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka is Gogol's first story collection, set in Ukrainian villages and presented as tales told by a beekeeper and his neighbours. The stories draw on folk belief, with devils, witches, ghosts and buried treasure alongside young lovers, stubborn parents and village feasts. They are lively, humorous and full of local colour. The book made Gogol's name in St Petersburg and introduced many readers to Ukrainian rural life and folklore.