The Soviet Union in Bulgakov's time
The Master and Margarita is a satire. In order to understand it completely one should know its context. Bulgakov, born in 1891, was youngster and adolescent in the last years of the regime of czar Nicolas II. During the civil war following the revolution he took the Whites' side.
When Stalin came to power he had a very difficult time. His stories, novels and plays were very popular among the public, but unanimously abused by the state critics and banned by the authorities. Though Stalin said that he loved Bulgakov's plays, he was prohibited to publish them.
context
Your guide through the novel
In this section are explained, per chapter, all typical notions, names of people and places, quotations and expressions from the novel with a description of the political, social, economical and cultural context.
