Alisa Ganieva

Alisa Ganieva is an award-winning Russian author of fiction and essays. Her novels – The Mountain And The Wall (Праздничная гора, AST, 2012), Bride and Groom (Жених и невеста, AST, 2015) and Offended Sensibilities (Оскорбленные чувства, AST, 2018) have been translated into a number of world languages and published internationally. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and consequent adoption of repressive laws in Russia, she left the country in order to be able to speak out against the war. She currently lives in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Medical drawing of a pair of forearms and hands cross over one another at the wrist. The drawing shows the system of blood vessels.

Fiction Online

Before the Test

By Alisa Ganieva

No trees — just construction sites everywhere. Concrete, trash, and the impervious gates of private homes. The sea is rough and barely salinated. The waters are never calm.