Real Name: Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov
Date of Birth: March 28, 1868 (Julian calendar: March 16)
Birth Place: Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Empire
Residence: Europe and USSR (various)—including Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Tiflis, Capri, Moscow
Profession: Writer, playwright, journalist, political activist
Nationality: Russian
Religion: Explored “God-building”—a spiritual-societal ideology combining socialism and faith
Partner(s):
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Yekaterina Peshkova (née Volzhina), married 1896–1903
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Maria Andreyeva, actress and companion post-1903
Father: Maksim Peshkov, upholsterer turned shipping agent (died when Aleksei was ~5)
Mother: Maria Peshkova (remarried after father’s death)
Horoscope: Aries
Age: Died June 18, 1936 (aged 68)
Physical details (height, weight, body type, measurements, eye/hair color) are largely undocumented for literary figures of his era and not part of public records or relevant to his legacy.
1. Early Years & Hardship
Born into poverty after losing his father, Aleksei was raised by his grandparents in Nizhny Novgorod. He left formal schooling by age 8 and survived doing rough labor—shoemaker, steamer dishwasher, baker, docker—all while nearly starving and abused. These “bitter” experiences ignited his passion to speak out, so he took the pen name “Gorky” (Russian for “bitter”) in 1892 for his debut story, Makar Chudra.
2. Literary Breakthrough & Ideals
His 1898 collection, Essays and Stories, brought him fame. His writing—raw and truth-bearing—depicted the struggle of the oppressed class and aligned with revolutionary flames. Tolstoy and Korolenko mentored him, and Gorky characterized literature as a moral tool, not mere art.
3. Activism & Exile
Deeply involved with revolutionary movements, Gorky faced Tsarist censorship and imprisonment after the 1905 uprising. He spent 1906–1913 mostly abroad—Italy, Germany, USA—raising funds for the Bolsheviks and progressive causes. Notably, his novel Mother (1906), written during his US visit, became a socialist classic
4. Return & Influence
In 1913, political amnesty allowed his return. He helped create Soviet cultural institutions, published his autobiographical trilogy (My Childhood, In the World, My Universities), and lectured on Russian literature. Initially revered by Bolsheviks, he later critiqued Leninism and Stalin’s regime, preserving intellectual independence.
5. Later Years & Conflicts
During the 1930s, Gorky’s relationship with the Soviet state soured. He criticized Stalin in private, and his son’s suspicious death in 1934 hinted at NKVD involvement; rumors even suggest Gorky may have been murdered in 1936. Nonetheless, he remained an honored Soviet literary icon and shaped the doctrine known as Socialist Realism.
6. Legacy & Stardom
Gorky’s journey from destitute laborer to the “father of Soviet literature” is legendary. He pioneered politically charged writing, championed oppressed peoples, and institutionalized Soviet cultural norms. His masterpieces—novels, stories, plays—continue to be studied worldwide. Streets and institutes bear his name in Russia. Despite oppressive political tides, his intellectual courage cemented him as a literary hero.
🔍 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did he choose “Gorky”?
A: “Gorky” means “bitter” in Russian—a reflection of his ordeal and his will to expose societal injustice.
Q: What is the autobiographical trilogy?
A: My Childhood (1913–14), In the World (1916), and My Universities (1922)—depicting his early life and self-education.
Q: How did he influence Soviet literature?
A: He was pivotal in founding Socialist Realism and Soviet cultural institutions, honored as a literary patriarch.
Q: What is “God-building”?
A: A spiritual-political ideology he backed, fusing socialism with a new form of religious faith, criticized by Lenin.
Q: Was Gorky a Communist?
A: He aligned with socialist and Marxist ideas and supported the Bolsheviks initially, but maintained his independence and later opposed Stalin’s authoritarianism.