Vladimir Korolenko
Vladimir Galktionovich Korolenko (Владимир Галактионович Короленко) (July 27, 1853- December 25, 1921) was a Russian short story writer and journalist. His short stories were known for their harsh portrayal of nature based on his experience of exile in Siberia. Korolenko would be a strong critic of the Tsarist regime and in his final years of the Bolsheviks.
Table of contents |
Early Life
Korolenko was born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine in 1853, the son of a Cossack and a district judge. He was educated at secondary schools in Zhitomyr and Rovno before undertaking tertiary studies at the St. Petersburg Technological College in 1871 and the Moscow College of Agriculture and Forestry in 1874. Korolenko was expelled from both institutions for participating in revolutionary activity in a Populist circle.
Literary career 1879–1900
He had his first short stories published in 1879. However, his literary career was interrupted that year when he was arrested for revolutionary activity and exiled to Siberia for five years. He had more stories published on his return from exile.
However, it was his story Makar's Dream (Сон Макара, Son Makara) that established his reputation as a writer when published in 1885. The story was based on a dying peasant's dream of heaven and was translated and published in English in 1892.
Korolenko settled in Nizhniy Novgorod shortly afterwards and kept on publishing popular short stories. He published a novel Слепой музыкант (Slepoi Musykant) in 1886 which was published in English as The Blind Musician in 1896–98.
After visiting the Chicago exhibition in 1893, Korolenko wrote the story Without a Language (Без языка, Bez Yazyka) based on what happens to an Ukrainian peasant who migrates to the US. His final story Мгновение (Mgnovenie, "An Eyewink") was published in 1900.
By then, Korolenko was established amongst the first rank of Russian writers. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences but resigned in 1902 when Maxim Gorky was expelled as a member because of his revolutionary activities. Anton Chekhov resigned from the Academy for the same reasons.
Journalist 1895–1921
In 1895, Korolenko became the editor of Russian Wealth and used this position to expose injustices occurring under the tsar. He also used his position to publish reviews on important pieces of literature such as Chekhov's final play The Cherry Orchard in 1904.
Vladimir Korolenko was a lifetime opponent of Czarism and welcomed the Russian revolutions in 1917. However, he soon opposed the Bolsheviks as their despotic nature became evident. He also started work on an autobiography История моего современника (Istoria moego sovremenika The History of My Contemporary.
Ongoing Influence
Korolenko is generally considered to be a leading Russian writer of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Russian singer and literature student Pavel Lion took his stage name Psoy Korolenko due to his admiration of Korolenko's work. Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh named asteroid 3835 in his honour.
Written Works
The following is the list of Korolenko's most notable writings:
- Son Makara (1885) translated as Makar's Dream (1891);
- Slepoi Muzykant (1886) translated as The Blind Nusician 1896–98;
- V durnom obshchestve (1885) translated as In Bad Company (1916);
- Les Shumit translated as The Murmuring Forest (1916);
- Reka igraet (1892) The River Sparkles;
- Za Ikonoi After the Icon
- Bev Yazyka (1895) or Without a Language;
- Mgnovenie (1900) or An Eyewink;
- Siberian Tales 1901;
- Istoria moego sovreminika or The History of My Contemporary an autobiography (1905–1921)