From Nikolai Leskov’s short story The Sentry: In those days there were neither telegraphs nor telephones, and in order to transmit the orders of the authorities as expeditiously as possible, the “forty thousand couriers” immortalized by Gogol in his Government Inspector used to gallop head-long in all directions. This, of course, was not as quick […]

From Nikolai Leskov’s short story The Sentry: Though in those days very few people devoted their time to the study of history, they nevertheless believed in it and were particularly anxious to take part in its making.