The Old Woman Izergil

"Old Izergil" is a 1895 short story by Maxim Gorky, written in the autumn of 1894 and first published by Samarskaya Gazeta, issues 80, 86 and 89, on 16, 23 and 27 April respectively. Publication Instrumental in getting the story published was Vladimir Korolenko, who would be later credited with 'discovering' Gorky. On 4 October 1894 he informed Mikhail Sablin, a member of the Russkiye Vedomosti staff: "Some three days ago I sent to [the newspaper] the manuscript by Peshkov (writing under the pseudonym Maxim Gorky), called 'Old Izergil'." Plot It's sunset and the narrator rests amidst the Moldovan vineyards, watching men and women returning home from work, singing songs. With him is Izergil, once beautiful, now a very old, decrepit woman. She scolds him for being so withdrawn ("You Russians are born already old men!"), then starts telling him stories.