The Ghost of Gatchin by Alexandr Kuprin. Short summary

5 seconds

The Commissar of the Gatchina Palace, Comrade Hare, is visited by the ghost of Emperor Paul. At the Emperor’s command, Hare reports to him on the situation in Russia. The deeds of the descendants bring sadness to the Emperor’s ghost.

1 minute

Comrade Zayats, Commissar of the Gatchina Palace, is a responsible, educated man, an apothecary, and a communist. On June 22 the Commissar has to make an evening round of the palace later than usual. On completing his rounds, Hare is perplexed to find the palace doors locked from the outside.

The commissioner lodges for the night in one of the palace rooms. In a dream or vision he is visited by the ghost of Emperor Paul. He commands the Commissar to report on how the affairs of state are now being conducted. The more the Hare speaks, the sadder Paul’s face becomes.

Then the Emperor takes the floor, he admits that he was no stranger to human frailty during his lifetime, but he always knew that people should not be divided into ranks and classes. Absolute power precludes personal favoritism, persecution, and oppression among his subjects. The emperor tells us that all his actions were aimed at ensuring his people a healthy, happy life. The emperor’s spirit is pleased that the people remember this. Hare keeps the unusual encounter a secret, for he is an educated man.