2016-06-18 Sat

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov more famously known as Maxim Gorky was a celebrated Russian writer. His death was announced on 18th June 1936 by the Moscow Radio describing him as a “great Russian writer, brilliant artist of the word, friend of workers and fighter for the victory of Communism.”

Before finding fame as a writer, Maxim Gorky worked many jobs and roamed across the Russian Empire, these experiences later influenced his writing. His writings depicted naturalistic stories of the tramps and social outcasts. His rough and abusive childhood led him to choose the word gorky (“bitter”) as his pseudonym. While working as a dishwasher in Volga steamer, a cook introduced Gorky to reading book and this transformed young Gorky and pursued him towards writing.

In 1892 his first short story "Makar Chudra," was published in various journals and became very popular with readers. In 1898 a Gorky collection, Sketches and Stories, was published. Gorky's most famous works were The Lower Depths, Twenty-six Men and a Girl, The Song of the Stormy Petrel, The Mother, Summer folk and Children of the Sun. Gorky also penned autobiographies of his fellow Russian writers Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov. He was a five-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The autobiographical Trilogy (My Childhood, In the World and My University) is regarded as the Gorky’s greatest masterpiece and considered to be one of the finest autobiographies in Russian. On June 18, 1936, aged 68 Gorky died at his villa in Gorki Leninskiye, outside of Moscow. After his death, Gorky was considered as the patron of Soviet letters.

Maxim Gorky was honoured on a 1968 15 paise commemorative stamp issued by Indian Post to celebrate his birth centenary. In 1968 the Soviet Union issued a 4 kopeks stamp. Other countries like Mongolia, Germany and many more have also honoured Maxim Gorky on their stamps. In 1988 Russia issued a 1 Rouble coin commemorating one of its legendary writers.

To see the Indian stamp click here.