The Master and Margarita
- Jul 12
- 2 min read
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (1891 – 10 March 1940) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright. His novel The Master and Margarita, published posthumously, has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.
It was reputedly a favourite novel of Benedetti Michelangeli, but is this in fact true?
The Master and Margarita (Russian: Мастер и Маргарита) was written between 1928 and 1940. A censored version, with several chapters cut by editors, was published posthumously in Moscow magazine in 1966–1967 by his widow Elena Bulgakova. The manuscript was first published as a book in 1967, in Paris, France. A samizdat version circulated that included parts cut out by official censors, and these were incorporated in a 1969 version published in Frankfurt. It satirizes Russian bureaucracy and atheism.
The Master and Margarita follows the Devil (Professor Woland) and his chaotic retinue as they descend upon 1930s Moscow. Their arrival exposes the corruption and atheism of the Soviet elite. The story weaves together satire with an inner philosophical novel about Pontius Pilate and Jesus.
The narrative alternates between three intertwined storylines:
Satan in Moscow: Woland and his mischievous assistants (including a giant, gun-toting black cat named Behemoth) wreak surreal havoc. They expose the greed, hypocrisy, and bureaucratic absurdities of the Soviet literary and theatrical elite.
The Master and Margarita: the Master, a tortured and repressed author, is confined to a psychiatric ward after his novel about Pontius Pilate is brutally rejected. Devoted to him, his lover Margarita makes a Faustian pact with Woland. She transforms into a witch, hosts Satan’s grand midnight ball, and uses her granted wish to rescue the Master and his manuscript.
Pontius Pilate and Yeshua: excerpts from the Master's destroyed novel recount the interrogation and crucifixion of Yeshua Ha-Nozri (Jesus), exploring themes of cowardice, guilt, and ultimate redemption.
Ultimately, recognizing the strength of their love and the endurance of the Master's art, Woland grants the couple "peace" rather than traditional salvation, allowing them to escape the oppressive world of Moscow forever. The book famously declares that "manuscripts don't burn," symbolising the immortality of truth and creative expression.