Above the Black Sea

Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky's novel «Above the Black Sea» is a profound social and domestic work, with events unfolding in picturesque Odesa in 1880. The vast port city becomes not just a backdrop, but a true physical and spiritual embodiment of cosmopolitanism, showing readers the possibility of harmonious coexistence of different moral guidelines.
The author's prose is built on several key conflicts. Firstly, it's the juxtaposition of national culture and popular enlightenment against the emerging European cosmopolitanism, which is particularly relevant for the "open port" of Odesa. Secondly, Nechuy-Levytsky distinguishes between the philosophies of materialism and Epicureanism. Consequently, the novel's characters are divided into idealists, who strive for higher values and seek truth in everyday life, and consumers, who only seek pleasure. Despite their differences, all the characters remain incredibly vibrant, emotional, sensitive, and sincere in their interactions with each other and the world.