Arkady Averchenko

Arkady Averchenko
Born	(1881-03-27)27 March 1881 Sevastopol,Russia
Died	12 March 1925(1925-03-12)(aged 43) Prague,Czechoslovakia

Arkady Timofeevich Averchenko(Russian:Арка́дий Тимофе́евич Аве́рченко;27 March 1881 – 12 March 1925) was a Russianplaywrightandsatirist.He published his stories in the journalSatirikon,of which he was also an editor, in the series ofNew Satirikon,and other publications. He published a total of around 20 books. Averchenko's satirical writings can be described as liberal. After theRussian Civil War,he emigrated to Central Europe and died in Prague.

Biography

Life before the Russian Revolution

Averchenko was born on 27 March 1881 in Sevastopol. He was the son of a poor merchant, Timofey Petrovich Averchenko.

Averchenko completed only two courses at the Gymnasia because of his poor eyesight, which rendered him unable to work on his studies for extended periods. His eye had been damaged by a childhood accident. However, as time went by, his lack of formal education was compensated by his natural intellect, as the writerN.N. Breshko-Breshkovskiyhas described.

Averchenko started to work at the age of 15, employed by a private transport company. He remained there for slightly over a year before pursuing other employment. In 1897 Averchenko left forDonbasto work as a clerk in the Bryansk mine. He worked there for three years and later wrote several stories about life at the mine, including "In the Evening" and "Lightning."

In 1903, at the age of 22, he moved toKharkivwhere his first story appeared in the newspaper "South Territory" on 31 October.

During 1906 to 1907 he edited the satirical magazinesBayonetandSword.Finally in 1907 he was fired from this work, reportedly with the words, "You are a good man, but suitable for nothing." After this, in January 1908 Averchenko left forSaint Petersburgwhere he was to achieve success in his career.

In 1908 Averchenko became secretary of the satirical magazineDragonfly(later renamed toSatyricon) and in 1913 he became its editor. For many years Averchenko worked successfully as a member of the magazine's staff together with many other notable people, includingNadezhda Teffi,Sasha Chorny,andAleksey Remizov.His most lauded humorous stories were published in the magazine. During Averchenko's work at theSatyriconit became very popular, and theatrical works based on his stories were put on by many theatres throughout the country.

From 1910 to 1912 Averchenko more than once travelled to Europe with his friends and colleagues at theSatyricon(includingAleksey Remizov). These travels served Averchenko as a rich source for his creative work, and inspired his bookExpedition of Satyriconers in Western Europewhich was published in 1912. Averchenko also wrote many theatre reviews under severalpen names.

After theOctober Revolution,Averchenko's life was greatly changed. In August 1918Bolshevikleaders declared theSatyriconanti-Soviet and suppressed it.

Averchenko and allSatyriconstaff took a negative position against Soviet authority. Averchenko struggled greatly in attempting to return to his ownSevastopol;in particular, he had to travel through the Ukraine, which was being occupied by Germans. Beginning in June 1919 Averchenko worked for the newspaperSouth(later theSouth of Russia) and urged aid for the Voluntary Army.

On 15 November 1920 Sevastopol was taken by the Reds. Some days before Averchenko had had time to flee via steamer ship toIstanbul.

After emigration

Averchenko's grave inPrague,Olšany Cemetery

Averchenko felt comfortable while in Istanbul. There were many other fellow Russian refugees in the city at the time.

In 1921 inParishe published a satirical anthology,A Dozen Knives in the Back of RevolutionwhichLenindescribed as "a book of great talent by the embittered to distractionWhite Guard."He followed this book with a collection of stories,A Dozen Portraits in the Boudoir Format.

On 13 April 1922 Averchenko moved toSofiaand later moved toBelgrade.Averchenko spent a brief time in both cities before moving again and taking up permanent residence in Prague on 17 June 1922. In 1923 his book of collected emigrant stories,The Notes of the Simple-Minded,was published by the Berlin publishing house Nord.

Averchenko found life away from his homeland and from his native tongue very hard. Many his stories dealt with his feelings of alienation, in particular the story "The Tragedy of the Russian Writer." He took on popularity inCzechimmediately. His writings have been very successful and many of his stories have been translated into Czech.

Working for the famous newspaperPrager Presse,Averchenko wrote many effervescent and witty stories, which nevertheless expressed great yearning for his homeland.

In 1925 Averchenko fell sick after an operation to remove his eye. On 28 January he was moved to the Prague Municipal Hospital with the diagnosis of "weakness of the heart muscle, distension of the aorta andsclerosisof the kidneys. "Doctors could not save his life and he died on the morning of 12 March 1925.

Averchenko was buried in theOlšany Cemeteryin Prague. His last work was the novelThe Joke of Maecenas,written inSopotin 1923 and published in 1925 after his death.

English translations

• A Friendly Letter to Lenin,"Ninochka",and Other Short Stories, [Comp. & Trans. by Igor Gregory Kozak] The Edwin Mellen Press, 2010. cl, illus., frontis. port., 297 pp.

External links

• Works by or about Arkady AverchenkoatInternet Archive
• Works by Arkady AverchenkoatLibriVox(public domain audiobooks)