From St.Petersburg with love

"I love you, Peter’s great creation,

I love your view of stern and grace..."

We’ve hated each other for many things, Katya, but I swear, I swear I loved you even while I hated you, and you didn’t love me

Fyodor  Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Remember particularly that you cannot be a judge of anyone. For no one can judge a criminal until he recognises that he is just such a criminal as the man standing before him, and that he perhaps is more than all men to blame for that crime. When he understands that, he will be able to be a judge. Though that sounds absurd, it is true. If I had been righteous myself, perhaps there would have been no criminal standing before me. If you can take upon yourself the crime of the criminal your heart is judging, take it at once, suffer for him yourself, and let him go without reproach. And even if the law itself makes you his judge, act in the same spirit so far as possible, for he will go away and condemn himself more bitterly than you have done. If, after your kiss, he goes away untouched, mocking at you, do not let that be a stumbling-block to you. It shows his time has not yet come, but it will come in due course. And if it come not, no Matter; if not he, then another in his place will understand and suffer, and judge and condemn himself, and the truth will be fulfilled. Believe that, believe it without doubt; for in that lies all the hope and faith of the saints.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

The chief difference between words and deeds is that words are always intended for men for their approbation, but deeds can be done only for God

Leo Tolstoy

Saint-Petersburg

Saint-Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Love hinders death. Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. It is the one thing we are interested in here.

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Is there in the whole world a being who would have the right to forgive and could forgive? I don’t want harmony. From love for humanity I don’t want it. I would rather be left with the unavenged suffering. I would rather remain with my unavenged suffering and unsatisfied indignation, even if I were wrong. Besides, too high a price is asked for harmony; it’s beyond our means to pay so much to enter on it. And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket, and if I am an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible. And that I am doing. It’s not God that I don’t accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return him the ticket

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

They were like two enemies in love with one another

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov