“We do not at all take upon ourselves the important task of giving an account of this new great work of Gogol, who has already become highly respected by previous creations; we consider it necessary to say a few words to indicate the point of view from which, it seems to us, it is necessary to look at his poem. His poem should seem strange to many, if not almost everyone; its appearance is so important, so deep and at the same time so new and unexpected that it cannot be accessible the first time. The aesthetic sense has not experienced this kind of impression for a long time, the world of art has not seen such a creation for a long time, and bewilderment must have been the first, albeit momentary, sensation for many, if not all: we are talking about people more or less gifted with feeling elegant..."