Daniil Kharms 1905-1942 (Soviet Absurdism)

Theme for a story

A certain engineer has made up his mind to build a huge brick wall across Petersburg.  He considers how to accomplish this, doesn't sleep for nights cogitating it.  Gradually a group of engineering planners is formed and a plan for the construction of the wall is elaborated.  It was decided to build the wall at night, indeed, to build the whole thing in one night, so that it would appear as a surprise to everyone.  Workers are summoned.  The organization is under way.  The city authorities are sidelined and finally the night arrives when this wall is to be built.  The building of the wall is known only to four men.  The workers and engineers receive exact instructions as to whom to place where and what to do.  Thanks to exact calculation, they succeed in putting up the wall in a single night.  On the following day there is consternation in Petersburg.  And the inventor of the wall is himself dejected.  To what use this wall was to be put, he himself did not know.

1935
trns. by Neil Cornwell

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