Silver Coat of Arms

The autobiographical story "Silver Coat of Arms" by K. I. Chukovsky was written in 1938 when he was already a famous writer and literary scholar. The sad story described in this work actually happened to him when he was studying... in a gymnasium. Expelled from the 5th grade, the protagonist keenly experiences the injustice of teachers and the betrayal of classmates. However, the boy finds the strength within himself to work and study independently and, thanks to his own perseverance and the support of his loved ones, becomes a student, and later a journalist and writer. The story contains many funny and bright episodes and subtly conveys the atmosphere of Odessa at the end of the 19th century.