Gogol was actually from another galaxy.

If we must never talk about literature when country is at war, then we would never talk about Hemingway

Gogol was ethnically Ukrainian but was born a subject of imperial Russia, and composed in the Russian language.

I have come to believe that the simplest and most sensible means to categorize literature is by the language in which the literature is written. Hence, Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' is a work of English literature, the original text of Beckett's 'En attendant Godot' is a specimen of French literature, and Gogol's 'Dead Souls' is a masterpiece of Russian literature.

К слову о том, кем был Гоголь по национальности можно узнать у него у самого. В книге есть текст его завещания, где написано.....

В заключение прошу всех в России помолиться обо мне, начиная от святителей, которых уже уже вся жизнь есть одна молитва. Прошу молитвы как утех , которые смиренно не веруют в силу молитв своих, так и у тех, которые не веруют вовсе в молитву и даже не знают ее нужною: но как бы ни была бессильна и черства их молитва, я прошу помолится обо мне этой самой бессильной и черствой их молитвой. Я же у Гроба Господнего буду молится о всех моих соотечественниках, не исключая из них ни единого; моя молитва будет так же бессильна и черства, если святая небесная милость не превратит ее в то, чем должна быть наша молитва.

1846, июль

I don't understand the lack of reality and people being so fragile in this day and age.
Thankyou for what you're doing. ❤

As regards Irish writers, pre-independence writers like Wilde or Swift are regarded as Irish writers now, even though they would have been British subjects at the time. The issue is further complicated by the fact that both were Anglo-Irish (Protestant English settlers) by origin, and not ethnically Irish. They are giants of English literature in terms of the language itself, but Irish people might object if you referred to them as English.

Would we call a writer from Texas, a Texan or American writer? What if Texas secedes from USA in future? Should there be any controversy about him then or should both be happy to call him theirs?

Russia and Ukraine, both have a rightful claim to Gogol. The problem is Ukraine wants to cut off its Russian heritage and disown Russian language.  Why, then, should they accept Gogol?

You summed it up right in the beginning of the video: watch less news, read more. Great video on the history of literature and geography.

One thing is where he was born. Another thing is where he lived, what inspired him and what landscape he described.

“In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one pile everything bad in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices that are being done in those places and in those cases where justice is most required from a person, and at one time laugh at everything” N.V.Gogol.

Bravo!❤

Gogol translates so well in English. Gogol is always a perfect read for a laugh 😂 Gogol was a genius!

The comparison with Kazuo Isiguro is interesting. Experiencing different cultures and people, from the inside and from the outside, is very stimulating for natural storytellers. Nothing more than that.

fun fact: pre-revolution Russian encyclopedia "Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedic Dictionary" names Gogol as Little Russia's(i.e. Ukrainian) nationalist(volume 68, p.635 in Russian edition)

It’s too bad our people are so idiotically reacting to your words. You’re absolutely right about him. Thank you for your work! From Ukraine with love!

Thank you

Well said 👏

I live in Norway, we got both Russians and Ukrainians here, and it is almost impossible to tell the difference, Ukrainians tend to be a little darker but that is it. They got same language (yes they both speak russian), same religion, same culture. So before we can say if Gogol is Ukrainian or Russian we need to first find the difference between the 2, which is hard because there are almost none.

I love your channel.