According to the Preface, this is "the chief poetical work of Russia's greatest poet." According to Wikipedia: "Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799 - 1837) was a Russian Romantic author who is considered to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. Pushkin pioneered the use of vernacular speech in his poems and plays, creating a style of storytelling -- mixing drama, romance, and satire -- associated with Russian literature ever since and greatly influencing later Russian writers."
