David Aizman
Encyclopedia
David Yakovlevich Aizman was a Russian-Jewish novelist and playwright.
, a coastal city in what is now Ukraine
. His older brothers were revolutionary activists. He went to Paris
in 1896 to study painting. In 1898 he and his wife, a Russian-Jewish physician, moved to the French countryside. While living in France, he made his debut in the magazine Russian Wealth. Two of his most original works, In a Foreign Land (1902) and The Countrymen (1903), were written and set in France.
He returned to Russia in 1902. During the 1900s and 1910s his stories and novellas appeared in leading periodicals, and his plays were staged in major theatres. His works were published by Maxim Gorky
's Znanie
company among others. His open portrayal of Russian and Ukrainian anti-semitism made his fiction unpublishable in the Soviet Union
, and his reputation and popularity suffered a serious decline.
Biography
David Aizman was born in NikolayevMykolaiv
Mykolaiv , also known as Nikolayev , is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe.-Name of city:...
, a coastal city in what is now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. His older brothers were revolutionary activists. He went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1896 to study painting. In 1898 he and his wife, a Russian-Jewish physician, moved to the French countryside. While living in France, he made his debut in the magazine Russian Wealth. Two of his most original works, In a Foreign Land (1902) and The Countrymen (1903), were written and set in France.
He returned to Russia in 1902. During the 1900s and 1910s his stories and novellas appeared in leading periodicals, and his plays were staged in major theatres. His works were published by Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
's Znanie
Znanie (publishing company)
Znanie , was a publishing company based in St. Petersburg, Russia founded by Konstantin Pyatnitsky and other members of the Committee for Literacy. It operated from 1898 until 1913.-History:...
company among others. His open portrayal of Russian and Ukrainian anti-semitism made his fiction unpublishable in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and his reputation and popularity suffered a serious decline.
English translations
- The Countrymen, from An Anthology of Jewish-Russian Literature: 1801-1953, Maxim Shrayer, M.E. Sharpe, 2007.