Faithful Ruslan

   Faithful Ruslan
Georgi Vladimov's novel  Faithful Ruslan is a Story of a Guard Dog, this harrowing allegory of obedience to authority is esteemed as “one of the defining literary texts of the post-Stalin period.

 Guard dog ('Stalin's dog'); special breed of dogs created to guard Gulag prisoners.  Ruslan is a bewildered prison dog set free after the demolition of a Siberian gulag camp. Trained to guard and herd, and after demolition he misses his terrible master whom he has unconditionally loved,  Ruslan and his fellow guard dogs dutifully wait for the arrival of new prisoners...
After the demolition of a Siberian gulag camp, Ruslan doesn't know what to do, where to find food, or where to live, only cold and hunger, he only knows the way of the Service, and using all his resources and intelligence finds a new prisoner to guard.
  It's great book one of the best books that I've ever read explaining the human psyche, especially the phenomena of brainwashing and propaganda,  fear and love, “Master” can impose on masses.....
 In our century 'Faithful dogs' is still waiting for his masters...  They are still  millions of people and they are everywhere, 'faithful dogs' would happily lick the boots of a new “Master” and the more cruel the “Master”...It's very sad story...
 Faithful Ruslan is the best novel of the 20th century in Russian Literature.
K. Shiuka