"Master Margarita"
28 x 36
By Alexei Butirskiy

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“Master and Margarita”

This is the title of a novel by Michael A. Bulgakov. If you ever have a chance to read this book, I strongly recommend it. It is a very complex novel that actually consists of two stories in one. Each reflects the other in mirror-like fashion: one written by the Master, and the other about the Master himself (including his romance with Margarita). The action takes place in my favorite city, Moscow, in the 1920's and 1930's. “Master and Margarita” is universal in scope, and so is often called a “philosophical novel.” One of the major themes is the Artist (here, the Master), his gift to see things differently, and his right to express himself. Creativity should be subjective to the maximum. My other favorite writer, Ivan Bunin, stated the same idea: The goal of the artist is to express himself in his work. This is what real talent means.