Yevgeny Mikhailovich Garshin was a Russian teacher, novelist, publisher, director of the Commercial College in Taganrog (1901), younger brother of the Russian writer Vsevolod Garshin.
Background
Yevgeny Mikhailovich Garshin was born on August 15, 1860, in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. His biological father was Petr Vasilyevich Zavadsky (1838-?), one of the organizers and leaders of the Kharkov-Kiev secret revolutionary society. His mother was married to Mikhail Garshin before she met Zavadsky, but in 1860 a family drama occurred in the Garshins' house. Mother left the family with the teacher P.V. Zavadsky. Mikhail Georgievich Garshin agreed to recognize Eugeny boy as his son and gave him his last name and patronymic.
Education
Yevgeny Mikhailovich studied at the Alexandrovsky gymnasium in Starobelsk, then at the 3rd gymnasium in Kharkov, graduated from it with a gold medal. In 1884 Yevgeny Garshin graduated from the Faculty for History and Philology at Saint Petersburg University. Since 1886 he lectured Russian literature at various gymnasiums of Saint Petersburg.
Around 1900 Yevgeny Mikhailovich moved to Taganrog, where he was appointed director of the Taganrog Commercial College in 1901. In 1904, soon after the death of Anton Chekhov, he initiated the creation of the Chekhov Circle. He was elected chairman of that circle and submitted an application to the Taganrog City Council, soliciting municipal acquisition of the Birth house of Anton Chekhov in Taganrog. The memorial plate was placed in 1910. This further led to the creation of the memorial museum Birth House of Anton Chekhov in 1926, following the municipal acquisition in 1915. It is noteworthy that before moving to Taganrog, Yevgeny Mikhailovich criticized earlier works by Anton Chekhov. Though living in his home city he became one of Chekhov's fans and made a lot to commemorate the writer.
In 1911, Yevgeny Mikhailovich left Taganrog for Simferopol. After his departure, the Chekhov Circle officially existed until 1920 but was gradually losing its importance with the inauguration of the Chekhov Library and Museum in 1914. Very little is known about the life of Yevgeny Mikhailovich in the Soviet period. He died in Leningrad in 1931.
Achievements
Yevgeny Mikhailovich is known for his small books Novgorod Antiquities(1892), Russian Literature of the 19th century(1891), Social Importance of the Archaeology (1888), Three Poems (1889), Children-Crusaders (1891) and many more. He also published several articles in Istoricheskiy Vestnik (Historical Bulletin), Russkoe Bogatstvo, Zvezda (Star), Russkaya Shkola (Russian School) and other bulletins.
Connections
His wife Vera was a sister of his brother Vsevolod's wife Nadezhda Zolotilova. Unfortunately, according to the provisions of the Orthodox Church, the marriage of two brothers and two sisters was considered incestuous. With great cunning, having given a bribe to a policeman and withheld about kinship from a priest, they managed to marry the lovers in a provincial village church. The had a daughter Natalia.
