They say that Mikhail Sholokhov's "And Quiet Flows the Don" is the best novel of 20th century in russian. I agree. =)
wiki:
Also there is an excellent film.The novel is often compared to "War and Peace" (1869) by Leo Tolstoy. Like the Tolstoy novel, "And Quiet Flows the Don" is an epic picture of Russian life during a time of crisis and examines it through political, military, romantic, and civilian lenses.