About the work
The novella "The Blizzard" (Russian «Метель») by Vladimir Sorokin was published in Russia in 2010 and in a German translation by Andreas Tretner (Kiepenheuer & Witsch) in 2012. In 2025 the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus, co-producing with the Salzburg Festival, premiered a stage version by Kirill Serebrennikov.
Plot
Country doctor Garin sets out to reach the remote village of Dolgoye to vaccinate its population against a mysterious epidemic that turns the infected into zombie-like beings. He hires the simple-minded carter Kosma, whose tiny horses pull the sleigh through an ever-worsening blizzard, turning the journey into a surreal and perilous odyssey.
Cultural significance
The title and plot clearly draw on the Russian literary tradition of blizzard stories by Tolstoy, Chekhov and Gogol; the novella was awarded one of the main prizes of the Russian Big Book literary award in 2011.