The Balkan Decameron

The Balkan Decameron is a novel about the fragile moment before the old world ends — and the courage to live in the new one. Three women leave Russia in 2014, long before the next waves of exile, but already with that sense of foreboding that marks true emigration from a temporary escape. They are different, yet each is searching for the same answer: is it possible to become oneself under the foreign, yet beautiful, Balkan sun? This is a story of turning points — both historical and deeply personal. Of loss and discovery, quiet victories, and the effort to stay when there is no way back. And the Balkans are not just a backdrop, but a true character in the novel: strange, familiar, and foreign all at once. The story ends with a letter dated February 23, 2022. We know what came next. Which is why it matters so much to return to the place where things are still possible: encounter, understanding, love.