9-11 OCTOBER 2026
The Polypathos Island
17:15
Presentation
Babis Anagiotos and Andreas Kokkinoftas. Moderated by Euphrosyne Manta Lazarou
The Polypathos Island: Cyprus Travel Guide
Cyprus through the eyes of Russian traveler Mikhail Pervoukhin
Translation and comments:
Babis Anagiotos
Prologue:
Andreas Kokkinoftas
A forgotten masterpiece of Russian travel literature comes to life for the first time in Greek.
The travel essay by Mikhail K. Pervoukhin , published in 1915 in the emblematic magazine Nature and People of St. Petersburg, captures Cyprus and its people in poetic language, weaving historical and cultural references from the Byzantine to the British period.
The translation and rich historical commentary by Babis Anagiotos , together with the foreword by Andreas Kokkinoftas , provide a valuable scientific and literary context. The edition also includes the original text in photographic reproduction, as printed in 1915, highlighting Cyprus as a bridge between East and West and illuminating a rare aspect of the Russian travel tradition.
A presentation that combines history and literature, travelogue and memory. The Suffering Island is not just a book; it is a window into a Cyprus that is disappearing, but still concerns us.
* * *
During the book presentation at the Nicosia Book Festival 2026, the following will speak:
Historian-researcher Andreas Kokkinoftas, who wrote the introduction to the book, will present the book and will refer generally to the historical context of the exploratory and travel voyages of the Russians in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as specifically to the historical connections of the Russian travelers with Cyprus.
Poet and translator Babis Anagiotos will briefly refer to the author of the travelogue, Michael K. Pervoukhin, the magazine that published the original text, the translation process, and will comment on various information that emerges from this travelogue.
BABIS ANAGIOTOS
He was born in Limassol in 1954. He studied Civil Engineering in Moscow. He worked in the public and private sectors in the fields of building construction and urban planning.
He is involved in poetry, lyric writing, short stories, novels, translations, theater, historical research and in general with the entire spectrum of cultural events. He has written articles and given lectures on various literary, artistic, cultural topics and aspects related to the history of Limassol. He has edited and presented various musical and artistic programs for cultural events and festivals. He has participated in various poetry events with recitations of his poems.
His poems, short stories and plays have been translated into various languages and published in newspapers, magazines, anthologies, in Cyprus and abroad, as well as on the internet.
He was President of the Limassol Film Club, a literary and artistic collaborator in various magazines, newspapers and radio stations, he was co-founder and Artistic Director of the "Nilios" Gallery-Boat, as well as a founding member and General Secretary of the Limassol Theatre Development Company (E.T.A.L.).
He was at times a member of several Associations, Organizations and Institutions as well as a member of various Committees and Councils.
Mikhail K. Pervoukhin
Short CV
Mikhail Konstantinovich Pervukhin (1870–1928) was a Russian prose writer and journalist, brother of the painter Konstantin Pervukhin. Born in Kharkov, he was expelled from the university for political reasons and, due to tuberculosis, settled first in Yalta, where he met Chekhov and Tolstoy. Later, he was expelled from Crimea as a "dangerous revolutionary" and ended up permanently in Italy, where he associated with Maxim Gorky and worked as a correspondent for Russian newspapers, traveling throughout Italy and North Africa. After the October Revolution, he adopted anti-communist positions and showed sympathy for early Italian fascism.
His work is diverse: he wrote essays, short stories, children's and adventure literature, as well as important science fiction novels. He is considered one of the founders of "alternative history", with works such as The Second Life of Napoleon and Pugachev the Victorious , while Russian critics call him the "Julius Verne" of Russia. He also documented the life of the Russian colony in Capri and in the late, scandalous novel The Pearl Necklace - From the Life of the Bohemians draws on the culture of mass literature. At the same time, he translated into Russian the works of Emilio Salgari and Luigi Pirandello.
Mikhail K. Pervoukhin
Short CV
Mikhail Konstantinovich Pervukhin (1870–1928) was a Russian prose writer and journalist, brother of the painter Konstantin Pervukhin. Born in Kharkov, he was expelled from the university for political reasons and, due to tuberculosis, settled first in Yalta, where he met Chekhov and Tolstoy. Later, he was expelled from Crimea as a "dangerous revolutionary" and ended up permanently in Italy, where he associated with Maxim Gorky and worked as a correspondent for Russian newspapers, traveling throughout Italy and North Africa. After the October Revolution, he adopted anti-communist positions and showed sympathy for early Italian fascism.
His work is diverse: he wrote essays, short stories, children's and adventure literature, as well as important science fiction novels. He is considered one of the founders of "alternative history", with works such as The Second Life of Napoleon and Pugachev the Victorious , while Russian critics call him the "Julius Verne" of Russia. He also documented the life of the Russian colony in Capri and in the late, scandalous novel The Pearl Necklace - From the Life of the Bohemians draws on the culture of mass literature. At the same time, he translated into Russian the works of Emilio Salgari and Luigi Pirandello.