Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich

January 16, 1867 (age 78)

Tula, Russian Federation

After graduating, Vikenty Vikentyevich moved to Saint Petersburg, wherein 1896-1901 he worked as a library manager in the Barracks Hospital in memory of S.P. Botkin, and in 1903 he settled in Moscow. Veresaev's first work to appear in print was a collection of poems (1885). His first short story The Puzzle was published in 1887. During the 1890s, Vikenty Vikentyevich joined a group known as The Legal Marxists, and he published works in such magazines as Novy Mir, Nachalo, and Zhizn. Vikenty Vikentyevich also wrote about the difficult position of the Russian peasantry, such as in the short story Lizar (1899) which was praised by Vladimir Lenin. His short story On a Dead-End Road (1896) and the novella Two Ends (1899-1903) were devoted to the life of the workers. In 1895-1896, Vikenty Vikentyevich collaborated in the Russkoya Bogatstvo magazine. Since the mid-1890s, he was increasingly engaged in revolutionary work on the proletarian outskirts, where he met with Marxists. He also collaborated in the Zhizn magazine. At this time, meetings of the Social Democrats were held in his apartment. In 1899, he met M. Gorky; subsequently, the writers collaborated in several publishing houses. Since the 1890s, the main theme of Veresaev’s work was the spiritual search of the Russian democratic intelligentsia in connection with the change of socio-political mentality that it was experiencing. In 1901, Vikenty Vikentyevich published his most successful book, the semi-autobiographical Memoirs of a Physician. In this book, he sharply criticized the system of Russian medical education. In 1904, at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he joined the army as a doctor. Vikenty Vikentyevich told of his experiences in his book "In the War", published in 1906. In this work, he showed the heroism of Russian soldiers and officers and, at the same time, the corruption of the tsarist army. He also wrote a long critical and philosophical work entitled Vital Life, the first book of which (1910) was devoted to a comparative analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky (Man Accused) and Leo Tolstoy (Long Live the Whole World!). The second book, Apollo and Dionysius (1915), was a critique of Friedrich Nietzsche"s views. The defeat of the Revolution of 1905-1907 undermined Veresaev’s faith in the prospect of a revolutionary struggle, which is probably why the idea of the story about 1905 remained unfulfilled. Reappraisal of his revolutionary past was expressed in the story To Life. In 1911, Vikenty Vikentyevich established the Pisately v Moskve Publishing House which he headed until 1918. After the 1917 Revolution, which Vikenty Vikentyevich welcomed, he devoted much of his time to cultural development and education. He also completed his cycle of works about the intelligentsia, including the novels In a Blind Alley (in 1922, it was translated into English as The Deadlock) and The Sisters (1933). Vikenty Vikentyevich published his reminiscences In the Years of My Youth in 1927 and In My Student Years in 1929. He also translated works by ancient Greek and Roman authors, including Homer’s Hymns, Sappho, Archilochus, and others. At the end of the 1930s, he began to translate The Iliad (published in 1949) and The Odyssey (published in 1953). Vikenty Vikentyevich died in Moscow in June 1945.

Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich Edit Profile

also known as Vikenty Vikentyevich Veresaev

linguist translator writer medical doctor

Background

Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich was born on January 16, 1867, in Tula, Russian Federation.

Education

After graduating from the Tula Gymnasium in 1884, Vikenty Vikentyevich attended Saint Petersburg University (now Saint Petersburg State University), taking a master's degree in history in 1888. He then enrolled in the University of Dorpat/Yuryev (now University of Tartu) and successfully completed a course in medicine.

Education period of Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich in University of Tartu

Career

After graduating, Vikenty Vikentyevich moved to Saint Petersburg, wherein 1896-1901 he worked as a library manager in the Barracks Hospital in memory of S.P. Botkin, and in 1903 he settled in Moscow. Veresaev's first work to appear in print was a collection of poems (1885). His first short story The Puzzle was published in 1887.

During the 1890s, Vikenty Vikentyevich joined a group known as The Legal Marxists, and he published works in such magazines as Novy Mir, Nachalo, and Zhizn.

Vikenty Vikentyevich also wrote about the difficult position of the Russian peasantry, such as in the short story Lizar (1899) which was praised by Vladimir Lenin. His short story On a Dead-End Road (1896) and the novella Two Ends (1899-1903) were devoted to the life of the workers.

In 1895-1896, Vikenty Vikentyevich collaborated in the Russkoya Bogatstvo magazine. Since the mid-1890s, he was increasingly engaged in revolutionary work on the proletarian outskirts, where he met with Marxists. He also collaborated in the Zhizn magazine. At this time, meetings of the Social Democrats were held in his apartment. In 1899, he met M. Gorky; subsequently, the writers collaborated in several publishing houses.

Since the 1890s, the main theme of Veresaev’s work was the spiritual search of the Russian democratic intelligentsia in connection with the change of socio-political mentality that it was experiencing. In 1901, Vikenty Vikentyevich published his most successful book, the semi-autobiographical Memoirs of a Physician. In this book, he sharply criticized the system of Russian medical education. In 1904, at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he joined the army as a doctor.

Vikenty Vikentyevich told of his experiences in his book "In the War", published in 1906. In this work, he showed the heroism of Russian soldiers and officers and, at the same time, the corruption of the tsarist army. He also wrote a long critical and philosophical work entitled Vital Life, the first book of which (1910) was devoted to a comparative analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky (Man Accused) and Leo Tolstoy (Long Live the Whole World!). The second book, Apollo and Dionysius (1915), was a critique of Friedrich Nietzsche"s views.

The defeat of the Revolution of 1905-1907 undermined Veresaev’s faith in the prospect of a revolutionary struggle, which is probably why the idea of the story about 1905 remained unfulfilled. Reappraisal of his revolutionary past was expressed in the story To Life.

In 1911, Vikenty Vikentyevich established the Pisately v Moskve Publishing House which he headed until 1918. After the 1917 Revolution, which Vikenty Vikentyevich welcomed, he devoted much of his time to cultural development and education. He also completed his cycle of works about the intelligentsia, including the novels In a Blind Alley (in 1922, it was translated into English as The Deadlock) and The Sisters (1933).

Vikenty Vikentyevich published his reminiscences In the Years of My Youth in 1927 and In My Student Years in 1929. He also translated works by ancient Greek and Roman authors, including Homer’s Hymns, Sappho, Archilochus, and others. At the end of the 1930s, he began to translate The Iliad (published in 1949) and The Odyssey (published in 1953).

Vikenty Vikentyevich died in Moscow in June 1945.

Achievements

For his outstanding achievements in the field of literature, Vikenty Vikentyevich was awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1919 and the Stalin Prize in 1945. He was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.

Works

Collection of Stories: Vikenty Veresaev Collection of Stories: Vikenty Veresaev

Sisters: Russian edition Sisters: Russian edition

The Memoirs of a Physician The Memoirs of a Physician

In the War: Memoirs of V. Veresaev [Pseud.] (1917) In the War: Memoirs of V. Veresaev [Pseud.] (1917)

book
- Collection of Stories: Vikenty Veresaev
  (The stories, presented in the collection, illustrate the ...)
- The Memoirs of a Physician
  (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)
- In the War: Memoirs of V. Veresaev [Pseud.] (1917)
  (Originally published in 1917. This volume from the Cornel...)
- Sisters: Russian edition

Politics

Vikenty Vikentyevic was in opposition to the authorities, but over the years his views changed from revolutionary to more liberal ones. However, in April 1901, he was dismissed from the hospital where he had been working because of his political views and was forbidden to live in Moscow or Saint Petersburg for two years. During this period Vikenty Vikentyevic wrote several works concerning the intelligentsia’s frame of mind at the turn of the 20th century, including the novella Without a Road (1895), the short story The Craze (1898) and the novella At the Turning Point (1902).

Connections

Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich was married to Maria Germogenovna Smidovich.

Father:: Vikenty Ignatievich Smidovich
Mother:: Elizaveta Pavlovna Smidovich
Spouse:: Maria Germogenovna Smidovich
Sister:: Maria Vikentyevna Milyutina
second cousin:: Peter Smidovich
colleague:: Maxim Gorki

References

Russian writers. 1800-1917. Biographical Dictionary. Volume 1
1989

Main Photo