In “The Beauties,” the narrator reminisces about two distinct encounters with extraordinary beauty that deeply moved him. The first account is a tender memory from his youth, traveling through the arid Don region with his grandfather, where they stop at an Armenian village. Here, he meets Masha, the Armenian’s daughter, whose astounding beauty creates a profound sense of melancholy and longing within him. Despite the stifling heat and the dullness of their surroundings, Masha’s appearance injects a moment of profound beauty and melancholy into the narrator’s journey, leaving an indelible mark on his memory.

The second narrative occurs years later while the narrator is a student, traveling by train when he observes a group of passengers captivated by another young girl’s beauty at one of the stations. This girl, albeit not classically beautiful, radiates a charm and vitality that enchants everyone around her, including the narrator. Her presence brings to life the otherwise mundane setting of the train station, casting a spell of wonder and poignant sadness over those who witness her.

Both encounters highlight the transient and indefinable nature of beauty, evoking a melancholy awareness of life’s fleeting moments. The young women serve as symbols of pure, untouched splendor that stands in stark contrast to the ordinary, weary aspects of daily existence. The narrator’s experiences underscore the power of beauty to stir deep emotions and to illuminate the ordinary with a glimpse of the extraordinary. The melodic sadness intertwined with these encounters emphasizes the ephemeral nature of beauty and the deep, often unarticulated longing it arouses in the human soul.