In this month’s Reading Group we will discuss Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, one of Ukraine’s most prominent contemporary authors. It tells the story of a beekeeper living in the Donbas grey zone between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists following the 2014 invasion.
The meeting will be facilitated by our bookshop co-curator Sasha Padziarei and engagement curator Alisa Oleva.
Sergei Sergeyich lives in the abandoned village of Little Starhorodivka, which is trapped in the no-man’s-land between loyalist and separatist forces. His fear has long subsisted into weariness and apathy, and he is alone except for the grudging companionship of his one remaining neighbour and uneasy visits from soldiers. Sergeyich’s only passion is for his bees – whose behaviour is a predictable and rational counterpoint to human dysfunction.
When the bees’ safety is compromised, Sergeyich decides to leave his village and stay with a fellow beekeeper, a Crimean Tatar. But as he discovers on his journey, the conflict extends far beyond the grey zone. He encounters suspicion and hostility from Ukrainians and a strange, manipulative welcome from Russians, and upon reaching Crimea he finds his friend’s Tatar community is suffering under Russian occupation. While conflict is always present in Grey Bees, first and foremost this is a gentle tale of companionship, humanity and of ordinary people trying to survive and find meaning amidst war.
2021 saw the opening of Pushkin House’s very own physical bookshop in addition to our online store. While it is still being honed and developed, we are keen to highlight literature that inspires, encourages, moves and validates our readers. We also want to amplify the voices, writers and readers that historically didn’t get and, perhaps, still don’t get the visibility, power and appreciation they deserve. Most of all, we want to create a physical (and an online) place for connection where people can come and share their views.