Pavel Protasov is a Russian writer who believes truth speaks clearest through metaphor. Drawing on Slavic folklore and the allegorical depth of Orwell and Saltykov-Shchedrin, he crafts lyrical tales where animals bear human burdens and forests remember what empires forget. His work explores freedom, conscience, and the resilience of ordinary people — themes that resonate across cultures. *Tales* is his first collection published in English. He lives and writes in Russia.