" It’s just a psychological cliché you brought over with you from Russia. I assure you there are no non-believers, particularly among artistic people. The nature of faith varies—the greater the intellect, the more complex the form it takes. There’s also a form of intellectual chastity which won’t allow anything to be discussed or articulated. We’re surrounded by the most vulgar forms of primitive religiosity, and it’s hard to bear … "

― Lyudmila Ulitskaya , The Funeral Party