/ Now I am recovering bit by bit; as soon as I have grown stronger I will write a longer letter; there are plenty of things to write about [...]". - A leading proponent of realism, Alexander Ostrovsky is considered the founder of the Russian national theatre repertoire, and was the author of 47 original plays, in spite of his lifelong struggles against official censorship. His last years were beset by struggles with money and, as here, health problems: he died almost exactly a year after the present letter. No records for autographs by Ostrovsky at international auction..