Sergey Terentyevich Semyonov
Encyclopedia
Sergey Terentyevich Semyonov , born March 28, 1868 – died December 3, 1922, was a Russian writer and a member of the Moscow literary group Sreda
.
, where his parents where peasants. He left the village because of poverty, and worked as an errand boy, salesman, plumber, laborer, and even as a guide for a blind merchant. These experiences gave him material for his writings. His first story Two Brothers (1887) was praised by Leo Tolstoy
, who supported and encouraged Semyonov throughout their long acquaintance. He published poetry, six volumes of stories, his memoirs entitled Twenty-Five Years in the Village, and a volume of essays.
In 1905 he was exiled for his revolutionary connections. After the Revolution of 1917, he took an active part in reorganization efforts. In 1922 Semyonov was murdered by bandits, an event that shook his friend Maxim Gorky
very deeply. Gorky
said that the great significance of Semyonov's works had been recognized, and that nothing could be more precious to a man.
Sreda (literary group)
The Moscow Literary Sreda was a Moscow literary group founded in 1899 by Nikolay Teleshov. The name Sreda means Wednesday, taken from the day of the week on which writers and other artists met at Teleshov's home. The last meeting of the Sreda took place in 1916...
.
Biography
Semyonov was born in the village of Andreyevskoy, in Moscow GovernorateMoscow Governorate
Moscow Governorate , or Government of Moscow, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1708–1929....
, where his parents where peasants. He left the village because of poverty, and worked as an errand boy, salesman, plumber, laborer, and even as a guide for a blind merchant. These experiences gave him material for his writings. His first story Two Brothers (1887) was praised by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, who supported and encouraged Semyonov throughout their long acquaintance. He published poetry, six volumes of stories, his memoirs entitled Twenty-Five Years in the Village, and a volume of essays.
In 1905 he was exiled for his revolutionary connections. After the Revolution of 1917, he took an active part in reorganization efforts. In 1922 Semyonov was murdered by bandits, an event that shook his friend 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:...
very deeply. 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:...
said that the great significance of Semyonov's works had been recognized, and that nothing could be more precious to a man.
English translations
- The Servant, (Short story), from Best Russian Short Stories, Thomas Seltzer, Boni and Liveright, 1917. from Archive.org
- Gluttons, (Short story), from The Salt Pit, Raduga Publishers, 1988.