The Big House

The Big House not only represents Stalin’s intimidating absolute power, it also represents Shostakovich’s first direct and personal contact with government forces. This first encounter lays the groundwork for all subsequent encounters, such as Stalin calling Shostakovich on the phone and Khrushchev’s officials bringing Shostakovich into the governmental fold by appointing him as to the Union of Composers.

The Big House is the epithet used to refer to the large government building near Shostakovich’s apartment in Section 1 of the book. This house is the main setting in which the Soviet government communicates with him during the period of his early 30s. Zakrevsky interrogates Shostakovich in the big house and attempts to implicate him in a supposed conspiracy led by Marshal Tukhachevsky, but Shostakovich is ultimately saved when Zakrevsky no longer appears at the Big House for their second meeting.

Cigarettes