In a photograph of the 1910s taken in Saint Petersburg by the master of reportage Iosif Otsup, Alexandr Kuprin sits second from the left at a laid table

The archivists of Pushkin House have provisionally titled this negative a novelist's feast in the company of friends. The identities of the other participants cannot be established with certainty, given the writer's vast circle of acquaintance: he fell in with celebrated poets, hacks from the boulevard papers and circus-ring athletes with equal ease. The place of the shooting also remains a mystery. All one can do is hazard a few guesses from the costly wooden panelling of the private dining area of this restaurant. Perhaps the picture was taken at one of the smart addresses of pre-revolutionary Petersburg, such as the halls of "Kapernaum" or "Vienna".

Alexandr Kuprin adored gastronomic refinements and turned every visit to a tavern into a festive ceremony. Among drinks he gave preference to chilled strong spirits, port and home-made rowan liqueur. These were accompanied by substantial fare: rich soups, spicy sterlet, tender crayfish meat and hot pastries with fish filling. For the sake of his favourite dish, fragrant sour shchi with fresh herbs made to grandfather's culinary canons, he would make a special journey out to his dacha in Gatchina.

The love of a good meal can be traced in Kuprin's texts as well. The pages of the novel "The Cadets" are steeped in memories of lavish pancakes at Shrovetide, while "The Duel" recreates in detail the setting of regimental army feasts. The nostalgic "Easter Bells" conveys the sweet smells of rich dough, and in the sketches "A Little of Finland" Kuprin is frankly delighted by the custom of self-service with its abundance of fish and cold meat.