[Aliska]

I think I read that long ago; time to find a copy again. There is a movie, I think, that I rented several years ago. You might want to try to track it down.

Do you read Chekhov? In one of his pieces, can't remember which, he noted that as people split off from the predominate religion, they got goofier or more bizarre (my words). Interesting. Chekhov seems to have been an agnostic? but writes with great compassion and insight for his time.

There are some Russian books I haven't been able to wade through though because they just don't hold my interest.

[MarMema]

I'm still trying to figure out if Tolstoy ever converted. I have a book he wrote about his thoughts and feelings toward the church, but it never states clearly what he ended up deciding.

Haven't read any Chekov but I know he did the cherry tree thing because of some exposure to it through adoption agencies.

I do, however, very much like Gogol and highly recommend him if you are seeking more reading along these lines.