Quote by Nadezhda Mandelstam: “Happiness is a gift, not a right. One must work for it, earn it.”

This statement suggests that happiness is not an entitlement but rather something that requires effort and deliberate cultivation. It implies a stoic perspective, where contentment arises from hard work, resilience, and earned experiences rather than passively expecting it.

In her second volume of memoirs, she continued to reflect on the immense personal and societal struggles, finding moments of internal strength amid continuous hardship.

Russian memoirist who preserved the poetry of her husband Osip Mandelstam by memorizing it during the Stalinist terror, when written copies were too dangerous to keep. Her memoir Hope Against Hope is one of the most important testimonies of life under Soviet totalitarianism. The Russian title plays on her name, which means 'hope.'