On the Eve

novel by Turgenev

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Article History

On the Eve, novel by Ivan Turgenev, published in Russian as Nakanune in 1860. It is a major work concerning love in time of war and revolutionary social change.

Set in 1853, On the Eve deals with the problems facing the younger intelligentsia on the eve of the Crimean War and speculates on the outcome of the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. Elena, its principal character, is a charming yet serious-minded, morally courageous young woman. Her concern for justice finds no outlet in her small circle of family and friends until she is introduced to the young Bulgarian patriot Insarov, whose idealism matches her own and who becomes Elena’s companion and the catalyst for the changes in her life.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.