Бунин и Набоков. История соперничества

To whom it may concern:

April 1st 1939.

Mr. Vladimir Nabokoff (nom de plume V. Sirine) is a very well known Russian author whose novels (some of which have been translated into German, English and French) enjoy a high reputation among Russian intellectuals abroad. He is the son of the late V. D. Nabokoff, the eminent Russian Liberal Member of the first Russian Parliament and Professor of Criminology. After leaving his country (in 1919) Mr. Nabokoff went to Cambridge where he obtained his B. A. degree in foreign languages (French and Russian) with distinction. He is not only a novelist of quite exceptional talent, but also a profound student of Russian language and literature. As an instance of this I may signify that in one of his works he contributed to the elucidation of certain literary questions referring to the Russian sixties of which he made a long study[265]. All this, together with his mastery of English and great experience in lecturing would make him a teacher of Russian literature and thought of quite exceptional quality at any English or American university. I recommend him warmly for such a post as I really think that it would be hard to choose better.

Ivan Bunin

(Ivan Bounine)

Prix Nobel 1933.

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