Masquerade

Written in 1835 and repeatedly cut by imperial censors, Masquerade is Lermontov’s searing verse drama about jealousy, rumor, and honor in St. Petersburg high society. At a glittering masked ball, a misplaced bracelet sparks whispers that ensnare the proud former gambler Evgeny Arbenin and his innocent wife, Nina. As gossip coils tighter, Arbenin’s wounded pride curdles into suspicion—with tragic, irreversible consequences.

Lermontov’s iambic lines glide from ballroom sparkle to psychological darkness, exposing how public masks, idle talk, and rigid codes of “honor” can destroy private lives. A cornerstone of Russian Romantic drama, Masquerade combines lyrical intensity with a modern, razor-sharp critique of appearances versus truth.