# Love and Russian Literature explained — Ashenden > Chapter companion for Ashenden by W. Somerset Maugham. ## What happens Ashenden arrives in Petrograd and feels overwhelmed by the immensity of Russia and the weight of his secret mission to prevent a separate peace. He reconnects with Dr. Egon Orth and his Czech associates, and arranges for Orth to serve as Mr. Harrington's interpreter. Ashenden also inquires about Anastasia Alexandrovna Leonidov, a woman from his past, and reflects on their affair and the cultural fascination with Russia that swept Europe. ## Themes in this chapter ### Boredom and Routine in War Ashenden reflects on the wearying sameness of hotel bedrooms and the feeling of living out of luggage, highlighting the mundane drudgery of wartime espionage. ### Love and Manipulation Ashenden's past affair with Anastasia Alexandrovna is recalled as both a romantic entanglement and a potential asset for his current mission, blurring personal emotion with strategic use. ### The Outsider and Alienation Ashenden feels lost and solitary in the immensity of Russia, an outsider in a foreign land, struggling with the scale of his task. ## Character check-ins ### Ashenden Arrives in Petrograd, weary and solitary, tasked with a critical secret mission to prevent Russia from making a separate peace. ### Dr. Egon Orth A Czech exile and minister who assists Ashenden, arranging meetings with Professor Z. and acting as interpreter for Mr. Harrington. ### Mr. Harrington Mentioned as needing an interpreter for his business proposition and letters to Ministers of State. ### Anastasia Alexandrovna Leonidov Ashenden's former lover, daughter of a revolutionary; he asks Dr. Orth to locate her in Petrograd. ### Vladimir Semenovich Leonidov Anastasia's husband, a gentle and unobtrusive revolutionary exile who teaches Russian and writes for papers. ### Professor Z. A key figure with absolute authority over Czechs in Russia, though he has scruples that require some operations to be kept from him. ## Key lines > He was chosen not because those in authority thought him particularly suited for the job, but because there was no one to be found who was more suited. Ashenden was selected for the mission not due to his exceptional qualifications, but simply because no better candidate was available. _Highlights the arbitrary and pragmatic nature of wartime assignments._ > A parson with a fixed idea has this advantage over common men, that he can persuade himself of the Almighty’s approval for almost any goings on. A clergyman with a single-minded goal can convince himself that God endorses nearly any action. _Reflects Ashenden's cynical view of Dr. Orth's moral flexibility._ > In her dark melancholy eyes Ashenden saw the boundless steppes of Russia, and the Kremlin with its pealing bells, and the solemn ceremonies of Easter at St. Isaac’s, and forests of silver beeches and the Nevsky Prospekt; it was astonishing how much he saw in her eyes. Ashenden projected his romanticized vision of all Russia onto Anastasia's eyes, seeing vast landscapes and cultural symbols in them. _Illustrates Ashenden's tendency to idealize and exoticize Anastasia as a symbol of Russia itself._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/ashenden_se/chapters/xv-love-and-russian-literature - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/ashenden_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/ashenden_se/chapters