“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, 'If one man is fated to be killed by another,… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“When you think about new-born babies being killed in our own lifetime,' he said, 'all the efforts of culture seem worthless. What… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“To Polyakov it was as though a fierce wind from downstream was sweeping up the Volga. Several times he was knocked off… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
Human history is not the battle of good struggling to overcome evil. It is a battle fought by a great evil struggling… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
At war a Russian man puts on a white shirt. He may live in sin, but he dies like a saint. — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“...neither fate, nor history, nor the anger of the State, nor the glory or infamy of battle has any power to affect… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“They soon lost interest in Sofya. She was just one more prisoner -with no more idea of her destination than anyone else.… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The whole city seemed to be pinned down, fascinated by the glassy stare of the Lubyanka. Krymov had thought about various people… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Both his voice and eyes had the burning cold of alcohol. His strength no longer lay in his military experience or his… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Sofya now understood the difference between life and existence: her life had come to an end, but her existence could drag on… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“He was telling her here, in this cellar, as he kissed her feet, he had understood love for the first time -… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
The longer a nation's history, the more wars, invasions, wanderings, and periods of captivity it has seen-the greater the diversity of its… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“When a person dies, they cross over from the realm of freedom to the realm of slavery. Life is freedom, and dying is a… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Life was terrible. It was as though they could understand, as though they could read in one another’s eyes, that the power which had… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“She's got legs like a stork, no arse worth speaking of, and great cow-like eyes. call that a woman?' 'You just like big tits',… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The true champions of a nation's freedom are those who reject the limitations of stereotypes and affirm the rich diversity of human nature to… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
I don't want you to be young and beautiful. I only want one thing. I want you to be kind-hearted - and not just… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“My faith has been tempered in Hell. My faith has emerged from the flames of the crematoria, from the concrete of the gas chamber.… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Another fact that allowed Fascism to gain power over men was their blindness. A man cannot believe that he is about to be destroyed.… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
Chekhov said: let's put God - and all these grand progressive ideas - to one side. Let's begin with man; let's be kind and… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Before the war Sofya Levinton had once said to Yevgenia Nikolaevna Shaposhnikova, 'If one man is fated to be killed by another, it would… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“Freedom is the direct opposite of necessity; freedom is necessity overcome.” — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
There's nothing more difficult than saying goodbye to a house where you've suffered. — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
“The travelers emerged into a spacious square. In the middle of this square were several dozen people on a wooden bandstand like in a… — Vasily Grossman Copy Share Image
