The Many Settings of Angel on the Square

The Many Settings of Angel on the Square

Russia was a very dangerous place to be in the years of 1913-1918, during World War I. It was especially dangerous if you were part of the imperial family and the aristocracy like Katya in Angel on the Square. Katya is put in many perilous situations due to the fact that her mother is the empress's lady in waiting. She encounters these obstacles in various places in the story, some of these places more significant than others. The three most important settings in the story are the Oaks, St. Petersburg, and the Alexander Palace.

The Oaks is a vital setting to the story for several reasons. The Oak's is Katya's vacation home, where there is plenty of fresh air and beautiful orchards. It is where Katya discovers that the peasants working on the estate are being treated unfairly by Vitya, the estate manager. She discovers this while vacationing at the Oaks in the summer of 1913 when she is 12. Baron Nogin, Katya's neighbor, tries to tell Katya's mother that Vitya whips the servants, but she doesn't believe him. Only when Stepan, one of the peasants, shows Katya the whip marks on his back does Katya know that Baron Nogin's assertions were true. Another important event that happens at the Oaks occurs much later in the story, in the spring of 1918. Katya and her mother have just fled from Siberia. They have come to the Oaks hoping to find their country mansion, but discover it has been burned down by the angry servants. So, Katya and her mother take refuge in Stepan's house. Here, they start a new life plowing the fields and working from sun up to sundown. Finally Katya understands what it is like to be a peasant and she appreciates the new outlook on life.

Another important setting in the story is St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is a busy bustling city where many events in the story take place. St. Petersburg is where Katya lives in the beginning of the story with her mother and cousin, Misha, in 1913. One very important event that takes place in St. Petersburg is when Misha takes Katya into the city to show her what the city is really like. He takes her to a factory where children are sorting dirty rags and working all day long for little pay. This is the first time Katya realizes she is very fortunate to live the life she is living. St. Petersburg is a significant setting also because this is where the statue of the angel on the square is located. This angel gives Katya hope because she believes that as long as the angel is standing, St. Petersburg will survive.

The final setting that is important to the story is the Alexander Palace. The Alexander Palace is a grand mansion where the imperial family lives. It is also where Katya and her mother live after her mother becomes the empress's lady in waiting. The majority of the story takes place at the Alexander