hand in hand with the beautiful natural descriptions, "A Hero of Our Time" is a book that never stops providing, even when one has reached its end. It was highly praised by the other great names in Russian literature – Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov. Often labelled the most important Russian poet after Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov was also a painter, often praised for his naturalist depictions of Caucasus. He died in a duel (just like Pushkin) at the early age of 26, but that did not thwart his poetic endeavours. Despite his naturalistic poetic grandeour, Lermontov’s best-known novel "A Hero of Our Time" is one of the founding works of Russian prose. Among his poems, "Demon" and "The Death of the Poet" occupy a central place in his work. His interests also included folklore, history, and patriotism.