The Holy Thief

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I’ve done my best to recreate 1930s Moscow accurately in this book, but it should be remembered that it remains a work of fiction and that I’ve allowed myself some flexibility from time to time, particularly with regard to the interiors of buildings. For any mistakes that aren’t deliberate, I apologize.

Those curious about the period might find the following of interest:

Anne Applebaum. GULAG-A History of the Soviet Camps. Allen Lane, 2003.

Danzig Baldaev (and others). Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia, Vols 1-3. Steidl/Fuel, 2003; Fuel, 2006; Fuel, 2008.

Robert Edelman. Serious Fun-A History of Spectator Sports in the USSR. Oxford University Press, 1993.

Orlando Figes. The Whisperers. Allen Lane, 2007.

Sheila Fitzpatrick. Everyday Stalinism. Oxford University Press, 1999.

Sheila Fitzpatrick. Tear off the Masks-Identity and Imposture in Twentieth-century Russia. Princeton University Press, 2005.

Véronique Garros, Natasha Korenevskaya and Thomas Lahusen. Intimacy and Terror-Soviet Diaries of the 1930s. Trans. Carol A. Flath. New Press, 1995.

Jukka Gronow. Caviar and Champagne -Common Luxury and the Ideals of the Good Life in Stalin’s Russia. Berg, 2003.

Jochen Hellbeck. Revolution on My Mind-Writing a Diary under Stalin. Harvard University Press, 2006.

Marc Jansen and Nikita Petrov. Stalin’s Loyal Executioner-People’s Commissioner Nikolai Ezhov. Hoover Institute Press, 2002.

David King. Red Star over Russia -A Visual History of the Soviet Union from 1917 to the Death of Stalin. Tate, 2009.

Hiroaki Kuromiya. The Voices of the Dead. Yale University Press, 2007.

Catherine Merridale. Night of Stone-Death and Memory in Russia. Granta, 2000.

Simon Sebag Montefiore. Stalin-the Court of the Red Tsar. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.

A. N. Pirozhkova. At His Side-the Last Years of Isaac Babel. Steerforth, 1996.

Vitaly Shentalinsky. The KGB’s Literary Archive. Harvill, 1993.

Frederick Starr. Red and Hot-the Fate of Jazz in the Soviet Union. Oxford University Press, 1983.

I was fortunate enough to complete a Masters in creative writing at St. Andrews University and remain indebted to Douglas Dunn, Meaghan Delahunt, Don Patterson and John Burnside for their patience, insights and guidance, and, above all, to A. L. Kennedy, who not only taught me a great deal about the nuts and bolts of writing but also included my short story “Denmark” in a German collection she edited-which was tangible encouragement when I very much needed it.

I’m also thankful to David Wilkinson, Kuhan Tharmananther, Jonathan Thake, Sue Turton, Bryan Hassett, Ken Murphy, Ed Murray, Ian Iqbal Rashid, Melanie Richmond and my wife, Joanne-all of whom read the book at various stages-and Larisa Ivash, who proved an invaluable source of information on subjects as diverse as pre-war Soviet cigarettes and the starting motor of the GAZ M-1. My agent Andrew Gordon at David Higham Associates helped make this book much better than it once was, as did my editor Maria Rejt and my US editor Lyndsey Sagnette at St. Martin’s. Their suggestions have always been valuable and their corrections always correct, and Maria’s attention to detail and care have made me weigh each word, which is probably how it should be. Thanks also to Liz Cowen for her precise and careful copyediting.

Above all though I’m grateful to my wife Joanne. This book is dedicated to her in acknowledgment of her patience, and other things.