Swan Song (The Conquered)

The book by Irina Vladimirovna Golovkina (1904–1989), the granddaughter of the great Russian composer Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov, is a work of rare power, depth, and sincerity. It is a narrative about people who performed acts of honor, truly a tragic chronicle of several aristocratic families who did not leave Russia after the revolution and the Civil War, and fell victim to the hell of repression. The novel is permeated with the bitter poetry of the defeated people (hence its second title), who did not give up - in the most difficult circumstances, they maintained their dignity and ideals, their almost mystical love for their homeland. It is not just a testimony of the past, but a story of feelings, loyalty, betrayal, resilience - a living life with all its joys and sorrows. The novel was first published in the early 1990s after the author's death and became a true bibliographic rarity. This bitter and majestic family saga will undoubtedly capture the hearts and souls of millions of readers.