Russian readers widely recognized Tatyana Larina from Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin as the leading heroine of classic Russian literature. This finding came from a report by TASS, citing a study conducted by the Liters book service to mark International Women’s Day.
Larina emerged as the most beloved character among the service’s users, with 51% of respondents selecting her as their favorite.
In second place was Anna Karenina, the title character of Leo Tolstoy’s renowned novel, chosen by 37% of participants. Margarita from Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita ranked third with 36% support.
Rounding out the top five were Natasha Rostova from Tolstoy’s War and Peace, named by 30% of readers, and Masha Mironova from Pushkin’s The Captain’s Daughter, with 18% support.
Readers cited enduring courage in the face of hardship, compassion, and selflessness as traits that attract them to these literary figures.
Among those who were less impressed with classic female characters, the main criticisms highlighted were modesty in difficult living conditions (77%), a perceived lack of diversity in social roles (58%), and an outdated image of women (53%), according to the Liters service press release.
On March 7, a wide release will bring the film Eugene Onegin to theaters, directed by Sarik Andreasyan. The movie adapts Pushkin’s classic work, with Viktor Dobronravov and Elizaveta Moryak in leading roles.
Earlier, Sarik Andreasyan explained his tendency to cast his wife in many of his projects, a practice he has discussed in various interviews.