Introduction.

This section presents an introduction to the book Night Patrol and Other Stories, by Mikhail Kuraev. Kuraev's literary style is far from clear and simple, and it is hardly intended to educate readers in the spirit of socialism. In these respects he joins the ranks of the many writers and critics who have broken with the original socialist realist requirements. However, he has one thing in common with the writers of socialist realist literature in that he does write for a purpose, which is to save from oblivion the remarkable and often crippled fates of some of the humble and unknown citizens of his suffering motherland.