Vladimir Nabokov

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

Russian-born American Novelist

Nabokov is best known for his masterpiece, Lolita. His literary knowledge spanned many languages, and he was a scholar of lepidoptery and literature.

Early Life of Vladimir Nabokov

Vladimir Nabokov was born on April 23, 1899 in St. Petersburg, Russia, into an aristocratic family. An intelligent child, he learned to speak English and French along with his native Russian.

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Works by Vladimir Nabokov

• Mashenka, 1926 (originally in Russian)
• Mary, 1926
• King, Queen, Knave, 1928
• The Eye, 1930 (originally in Russian)
• Laughter in the Dark, 1932
• Despair, 1936
• The Gift, 1937-1938
• Invitation to a Beheading, 1938 (originally in Russian)
• The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, 1941
• Bend Sinister, 1947
• Lolita, 1955
• Pnin, 1957
• Pale Fire, 1962

Boris Pasternak

Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)

Celebrated 20th-Century Russian Poet and Novelist

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was one of Russia’s greatest 20th-century celebrated poets. His My Sister Life, written in 1917, is arguably the most influential collection of poetry.

Pasternak was born in Moscow on February 10, 1890. His parents were a prominent Jewish painter Leonid Pasternak, a professor at the Moscow School of Painting, who was converted to Orthodox Christianity, and mother Rosa Kaufman, a popular pianist.

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Mikhail Lermontov

Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841)

Russian Poet, Novelist, and a Romantic Writer

Russian poet and novelist Mikhail Lermontov was one of the finest poets in Russia, known to be the best after the death of Aleksandr Pushkin. His work is about freedom and finding beauty in nature. He is best known for the novel A Hero of Our Time and the poem Death of a Poet.

Mikhail Lermontov was born on October 3, 1814 in Moscow, Russia. His mother died when he was three years old and he was brought up by his granadmother.

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Works by Mikhail Lermontov

• Spring, 1830
• A Strange Man, 1831
• The Masquerade, 1835
• The Death of a PAoet, 1837
• Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov, 1837
• Sashka, 1839
• The Novice, 1840
• A Hero of Our Time, 1840
• The Demon, 1841

Aleksandr Pushkin

Aleksandr Pushkin (1799-1837)

Russian Poet, Novelist and Short Story Writer

Russian novelist, poet and short story writer Aleksandr Pushkin is generally considered to be Russia’s greatest poet and founder of modern Russian literature. Before him, Russian literature used formal style of language, then he introduced everyday speech through his poetry and new themes from Russian history and folklore. His most famous books made into operas by prominent composers are Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky), Ruslan and Lyudmila (Glinka) and Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky).

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Works by Aleksandr Pushkin:

• Ruslan and Lyudmila, 1820
• The Prisoner of the Caucasus, 1822
• Eugene Onegin, 1823-1831
• The Gypsies, 1827
• Boris Godunov, 1831
• The Queen of Spades, 1834
• The Bronze Horseman, 1837, published after his death
• The Captain’s Daughter, 1843, published after his death

Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

Russian-born American Philosopher, Novelist and Essayist

Ayn Rand’s books, especially The Fountainhead, Anthem, and Atlas Shrugged, were influential during the 1950s and 1960s when the theme of individualism was popular among young readers, and most especially college students.

Ayn Rand, American author, essayist and conservative theorist, was born in St. Petersburg, on February 2, 1905, during the pre-revolutionary Russia.

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Books by Ayn Rand:

Works by Ayn Rand (Novels and Essays)

• We the Living, 1936
• Anthem, 1938
• The Fountainhead, 1943
• Atlas Shrugged, 1957
• For the New Intellectual, 1961
• The Virtue of Selfishness, 1965
• The Romantic Manifesto, 1969
• The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution, 1971
• Philosophy:  Who Needs It, 1982

Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky (1868-1936)

Considered the Father of Soviet Literature

Maxim Gorky became famous as a spokesman for the Russian poor in his novels. He is considered the father of Soviet literature, and famous for his novel The Lower Depths. From personal experience he wrote with sympathy and optimism about the impoverished people of Russia.

Read more… Maxim Gorky, Bio and Works

Works by Maxim Gorky:

• ‘Makar Chudra’, 1892
• ‘Chelkash’, 1895
• Twenty-Six Men and a Girl, 1899
• Foma Gordeyev, 1899
• The Lower Depths, 1902
• The Mother, 1906-1907,
• My Childhood, 1913-1914
• In My World, 1915
• My Universities, 1923
• The Arlamonov Business, 1925

Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky (1868-1936)

Considered the Father of Soviet Literature

Maxim Gorky became famous as a spokesman for the Russian poor in his novels. He is considered the father of Soviet literature, and famous for his novel The Lower Depths. From personal experience he wrote with sympathy and optimism about the impoverished people of Russia.

Gorky (1868-1936) was born on March 28, in the Russian town of Nizhny Novgorod. It was later renamed Gorky in his honour.

Read more… Maxim Gorky, Bio and Works

Gorky Maxim’s Works:

• ‘Makar Chudra’, 1892
• ‘Chelkash’, 1895
• Twenty-Six Men and a Girl, 1899
• Foma Gordeyev, 1899
• The Lower Depths, 1902
• The Mother, 1906-1907,
• My Childhood, 1913-1914
• In My World, 1915
• My Universities, 1923
• The Arlamonov Business, 1925

Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904)

Russian Short Story Writer and Playwright

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), 19th century Russian author, short story writer and playwright, was one of the most popular great Russian writers. Referred to as a ‘moral compass’, his plays and short stories are known for their realistic examination of the lives of ordinary Russians. His most famous plays include: Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.

Chekhov was born on January 29, 1860, in Taganrog, a small port in southern Russia. When he was 15, son of an unsuccessful shopkeeper, his father went bankrupt, and the family left for Moscow to avoid paying debts.

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Works by Anton Chekhov (1884 – 1903)

• Melpomene
• Motley Stories
• The Bear
• Ivanov
• The Wood Demon
• Sakhalin Island
• The Seagull
• Uncle Vanya
• The Three Sisters
• The Cherry Orchard