The 4th Moscow gymnasium
Moscow University
Pushkin Prize
literary historian translator children's writer poet
Leonid Petrovich Belsky was born on April 15, 1855 (according to other sources on August 15, 1855) in chief town of an uyezd, Voronezh province, Russian Empire (Korotoyak, Voronezh oblast, Russian Federation). He was the grandson of the priest and the son of the official of the office of Voronezh.
In 1863-1866 Leonid Petrovich studied at the Voronezh District School. Remaining an orphan, he was taken by relatives to Moscow, where for two years (1866 - 1868) he attended a German Сlassical School at the Lutheran church of St. Peter and Paul.
In 1868-1874 Leonid Petrovich studied at the 4th Moscow Gymnasium (graduated with a silver medal). In 1874-1878 he studied at the Department of Historical and Philosophical Studies of Moscow University.
Leonid Petrovich taught at a number of gymnasiums and other educational institutions: Moscow University, the Teacher Institute (from 1896), the 3rd Alexander Military School (until 1894), and the Higher Women's Courses of V.I. Gerier.
For the first time, Leonid Petrovich was published in print in 1883 with a review of the book by P. Zagarin, "V.A. Zhukovskiy i yego proizvedeniya". In 1887, in Moscow, he published the poem "Skazka o printsesse-lyagushke" (1915). Leonid Petrovich published works for children in the 1890-1900s in the journal "Detskoye chteniye", etc.
In February 1886 he met I.D. Sytin and published a book of poems and fables "Vecherniye Zorki" about his publishing house and the book of poems and short stories "Dumki" (1908).
The most significant work Leonid Petrovich did on the initiative of Buslaev, was the first Russian translation of "Kalevaly" published in 1888, it was awarded the Pushkin Prize.
Leonid Petrovich participated in various educational societies and pedagogical courses in Orel, Novgorod, Tula and in the Moscow Literacy Committee.
Quotes from others about the person
Tolstoy about the book of Belsky: "Vecherniye Zorki": "I think that fairy tales and fables should be successful in the children's world".
