''In the Forests'' (russian: В лесах, translit=V lesakh) is an 1874 novel by Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky, first part of a dilogy, completed in 1881 by the novel ''On the Hills''. Providing panoramic view on the life of the

Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists, ''starovery'' or ''staroobryadtsy'' are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian Orthodox Church as they were before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow bet ...

in the mid-19th century Zavolzhye and telling the stories of several local merchant families during the first decade of the rise of capitalism in Russia, the novel became immensely popular in its time. It was praised for, among other things, its colourful language, dipping deep into Russian folklore, its styles and imagery. Among the authors who spoke of their indebtedness to Melnikov's two major novels were

Vladimir Korolenko Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (russian: Влади́мир Галактио́нович Короле́нко, ua, Володи́мир Галактіо́нович Короле́нко; 27 July 1853 – 25 December 1921) was a Ukrainian-born ...

and, in particular,

Pavel Bazhov Pavel Petrovich Bazhov (russian: Па́вел Петро́вич Бажо́в; 27 January 1879 – 3 December 1950) was a Russian writer and publicist. Bazhov is best known for his collection of fairy tales '' The Malachite Box'', based on Ura ...

.The Collected Works by Melnikov-Pechersky in 3 volumes. Vol. 3, P. 287 It was Melnikov-Pechersky's dilogy that inspired

Mikhail Nesterov Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov (russian: Михаи́л Васи́льевич Не́стеров; – 18 October 1942) was a Russian and Soviet painter; associated with the Peredvizhniki and Mir Iskusstva. He was one of the first exponents of ...

's eponymous "In the Woods" and "On the Hills" (as well as "Nightingale Sings" and "Beyond the Volga"). Vladimir Belsky, a librettist for

Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...

's ''

The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya ''The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya'' ( rus, Сказание о невидимом граде Китеже и деве Февронии, italic=yes, Skazániye o nevídimom gráde Kítezhe i déve Fevrónii ) is ...

'', used ''In the Forests'' as one of his sources.

References

1874 Russian novels {{1870s-novel-stub