Andrey Kolosov

"?????? ???????" (translated into English as "Andrey Kolosov") is one of Ivan Turgenev's lesser known and discussed works. It is a novella told in the first-person by a Nicolas Alexandrovitch about his friend Andrei Kolosov. They visit the Semenitch household as Kolosov hopes to woo the daughter, Varia. With Nicolas playing the role of a distractor for Varia's father, the intention is to give Kolosov some alone time with Varia, but things unravel unexpectedly. Similarly, in other stories, young men like Gavrilovitch and Fustov, or the narrator and Pasynkov, act as chaperones to aid their friends in romantic pursuits. Yet, these well-intended efforts often lead to complications. The dynamics of friendship in these tales vary, from a superficial bond between Gavrilovitch and Fustov to an admiration-filled relationship between the narrator and Pasynkov, to a deep camaraderie between Nicolas and Kolosov. This story was considered a masterpiece by the critic and author Flaubert.