Childhood and youth
Boris was born on August 30, 1882. This happened in the city of Veliky Novgorod. The boy became the second child in the family - the first was daughter Vera. Boris's father, Stepan Vasilyevich, was a teacher at the Novgorod Teachers' Institute. Using Stepan Vasilyevich's textbooks, several generations of children studied arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The boy’s mother, Tatyana Pavlovna, was a popular pianist, a student of the Russian composer Anton Grigorievich Rubinstein.
Portrait of Boris Zhitkov
Because of his Jewish roots, Stepan Vasilyevich was closely watched by people from government agencies. Therefore, when, after the birth of the future writer, a conflict arose between Zhitkov Sr. and a local politician, Stepan Vasilyevich decided to take his family to another place. After riding around Russia for a year, but not getting hooked anywhere, Zhitkov Sr. takes his family to Odessa, where his brother and sister lived at that time.
Parents of Boris Zhitkov
In Odessa, Stepan Vasilyevich gets a job as a cashier-accountant on a ship, and Tatyana Pavlovna becomes a private tutor in playing the keyboard. Vera and Boris receive their primary education at home, and then enter gymnasium No. 5. It was in this educational institution that Zhitkov Jr. met the future writer and translator Korney Chukovsky, as well as Vladimir Evgenievich Zhabotinsky, the future founder of the Jewish Legion.
Boris Zhitkov with his sisters
In 1901, Boris graduated from high school and entered the Imperial Novorossiysk University in the department of natural sciences. As a university student, Zhitkov first became interested in playing the violin, but later decided to exchange it for photography (unfortunately, not a single photo of Zhitkov from those years has survived). The guy also does not forget about physical development - already in his third year he won prizes at sailing competitions.
Boris Zhitkov in childhood
Boris's hyperactive character and certainty in his beliefs lead him to help smuggle weapons for sailors who decided to revolt during the Russian Revolution of 1905. In 1906, Boris received a university diploma. Due to the unstable situation in the country, he cannot find a job for a long time. As a result, on the advice of a friend, he decides to become a sailor. After several trips to sea, the guy passes the exam to become a navigator. As a navigator of a sailing ship, he makes trips to Turkey and Bulgaria.
about the author
ZHITKOV, BORIS STEPANOVICH (1882–1938), Russian writer.
Born on August 30 (September 11), 1882 in Novgorod in the family of a mathematics teacher and pianist. He spent his childhood in Odessa (his school friend was K.I. Chukovsky), in 1905 he took part in revolutionary events. He graduated from the natural sciences department of Novorossiysk University (1906) and the shipbuilding department of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute (1916). He was a navigator of a sailing ship, captain of a research vessel, ichthyologist, metal worker, shipbuilding engineer, teacher of physics and drawing, head of a technical school; traveled a lot. Published since 1924 - first addressing adults, then increasingly to children's audiences, which he found, in particular, as a regular author of children's magazines and newspapers "New Robinson", "Chizh", "Hedgehog", "Young Naturalist", "Pioneer" ", "Lenin's Sparks" and others (sea stories in the collection Evil Sea, 1924; stories for children "Black Mahalka", "Uncle", both 1925; "Dzharylgach", 1926; "About the Monkey", 1927; "Mug under the Christmas tree", 1929; "White House, Mongoose", both 1935; "On an Ice Floe", 1939; cycles "Sea Stories", 1925–1937, "Stories about Animals", 1935; stories "Boa Constrictor", "Black Sail" , both 1927; plays Fifth Post, 1927; Seven Lights, 1929; fairy tale Elchan-Kaya, 1926; scientific and fiction books About this book, Light without Fire, both 1927; Steamboat, 1935, homemade books, incl. . Dress me, 1928). The wealth of life observations and high educational value, clarity in defining the poles of good and evil, inexhaustible plot ingenuity, dynamism of the narrative, the sharpness and unusualness of moral conflicts that arise in everyday life and reveal the true essence of man, the romantic belief in the triumph of good and justice ensured Zhitkov’s works an honorary place in Russian children's literature of the 20th century, and outwardly restrained, but sincere and touching love for this world, for everything living and in need of protection, the ability to be surprised by the beauty of existence, to awaken compassion for the weak, incl. to “our smaller brothers,” and an interest in the mysteries of nature, a clear, concise and serious “children’s” language made Zhitkov’s work a favorite reading for young readers to this day.
The pinnacle of Zhitkov’s creativity is the encyclopedia story “What I Saw” (published in 1938, posthumously), which became a reference book for many generations of children, where the writer, in the genre of the journey of the four-year-old boy Alyosha - “Pochemuchki”, on whose behalf the book was written, answers various questions that arise in a child when he first encounters the “miracle” of the railway, new people, objects and animals.
Zhitkov’s psychologism, not without social bias in stories about adults (a kind and brave sailor and a greedy owner in the story On the Water, a poor sailor and a selfish captain in the story “Destruction”, noble revolutionaries and evil policemen, Black Hundreds and bandits in the stories “Vata”, “Compass”, “Bakery”), benevolent and edifying - in depicting the images of children (who, growing up, certainly become better), is especially accurate in stories about animals, which are shown with all their specific behavioral characteristics, and at the same time with a specific situational characteristics (an elephant that saves its owner from a tiger), as creatures in which the writer wisely highlights worthy qualities (the devotion of a wolf, the hard work and kindness of an elephant, the courage of a monkey, etc.).
Zhitkov was the organizer of a shadow theater and a special series of books for the illiterate, the author of the unfinished book History of the Ship, the cycle Stories about Technology, addressed to youth, the novel for adults “Viktor Vavich” (books 1–2, 1929–1937), which tells, not without autobiographical reminiscences about the period of the revolution of 1905.
The work of Zhitkov, a classic of Russian children's and animalistic (in continuation of the traditions of L.N. Tolstoy and A.P. Chekhov) literature, who, along with V.V. Bianchi and E.I. Charushin, can also be considered the founder of the scientific and artistic genre in children's literature, had a significant influence on many children's writers.
Zhitkov died in Moscow on October 19, 1938.
Literature
Boris Zhitkov came to literature quite late. On the other hand, it was his stormy and eventful life that became the basis for many of the author’s works. In addition, the writer kept a diary and regularly wrote letters to his family, thus getting better at the craft of writing. In 1909, he became the captain of a research vessel that took part in an ichthyological expedition along the Yenisei.
Boris Zhitkov during his service in the navy
Upon returning from the expedition, Boris submits documents to the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University for the shipbuilding department. In 1910 he went to Denmark to undergo training as a metal worker. In 1912 he went on his first trip around the world. During his trip around the world, Boris was most impressed by the countries of Asia - India, Japan and China. In 1916 he graduated from the university with a degree in shipbuilding engineer.
Books by Boris Zhitkov
By the time he graduated from the Polytechnic University, Zhitkov had already served in naval aviation for a year. In 1916, Boris received the rank of ensign in the aviation unit, and a year later - second lieutenant in the admiralty. In 1917, Zhitkov left the service and went to work in his specialty at the Odessa seaport, where he worked until 1924. This year Zhitkov moved to Petrograd.
Illustration for the book by Boris Zhitkov “How I caught little men”
There were two reasons for this: firstly, Boris was tired of sitting in one place - his “quick” character made itself felt, and secondly, Zhitkov decided to take his manuscript “The Evil Sea” to the publishing house. The editors appreciated the work and published it the same year. Since 1925, Zhitkov got a job as a teacher at a local school, and spent all his free time on writing. According to Boris's biographers, he wrote 74 essays, 59 novellas and short stories, 7 novels and 14 articles.
Boris Zhitkov
Boris Stepanovich became famous mainly as a children's writer. It was for children that he wrote most of his works - in particular, the collections “What I Saw”, “What Happened”, “Sea Stories” and “Stories about Animals”. The collection “Stories about Animals”, published in 1935, contained stories based on his impressions from visiting India - “The Stray Cat”, “The Brave Duckling”, “About the Monkey”, “About the Elephant”, “About the Snake and Mongoose", "Jackdaw" and "Wolf".
Book by Boris Zhitkov “Sea Stories”
However, the work that Zhitkov put at the pinnacle of his creativity was the novel “Viktor Vavich,” dedicated to the events of 1905. For a long time the work was not published because it was banned. The uncut version was released only in 1999 thanks to Korney Chukovsky’s daughter, Lydia, who discovered the manuscript in her father’s archives.
Writer Boris Zhitkov
It is worth noting that many people admired the novel “Viktor Vavich”. Among those who liked the work were writer Boris Pasternak, TV presenter Avdotya Smirnova and publicist Dmitry Bykov. Critics noted that if not for censorship, “Viktor Vavich” could have taken a place in Russian classics between “Quiet Don” and “Doctor Zhivago”. In 1988, when the fiftieth anniversary of the writer’s death was celebrated, the first collection of his works was published.
Brief biography of Boris Zhitkov for primary school children
Boris Zhitkov was born in 1882 in Novgorod.
My father is a mathematician by profession, and my mother is a pianist.
After high school, Boris Stepanovich, at the request of his parents, entered Novorossiysk University to study mathematics and chemistry.
In 1905, the revolution began, and Zhitkov joined the revolutionaries.
At night, he delivered weapons to the rebel sailors, as a result of which he was expelled from the university.
But the attempt to transfer to St. Petersburg was unsuccessful.
In 1909, Zhitkov became a member of an ichthyological expedition, and in 1912 he set off on a circumnavigation of the world.
From a cabin boy, the writer rose to the rank of captain.
Boris Stepanovich began publishing in 1924; before that he wrote “on the table.”
On October 19, 1938, Boris Zhitkov passed away.
_______
Personal life
Little is known about Zhitkov’s personal life. The nomadic lifestyle did not allow the writer to start a normal family, so towards the end of his days he lived in a civil marriage with Vera Mikhailovna Arnold (1896-1988), the daughter of the director of the Belogorodsky School and a Soviet cryptographer.
Boris Zhitkov and Vera Arnold
The couple had no children, but Boris had a nephew, Alyosha, the son of his older sister. It was Alyosha who became the prototype of the character in the stories from the collection “What I Saw.” However, there is evidence that Zhitkov has several children from a certain Felitsata Fedorovna Guseva - son Nikolai and daughter Felitsata. At least that's what some media say.
Death
Back in 1937, Boris Stepanovich felt unwell. On the advice of a friend, I decided to try therapeutic fasting, but this only worsened my situation. The writer finished the book, which Zhitkov planned as “Encyclopedia for four-year-old citizens “Pochemuchka””, already dictating to his wife. This book was later published under the title What I Saw.
Boris Zhitkov in recent years
The writer did not have time to finish his other book, “Help is Coming,” dedicated to technology that serves the benefit of humanity. However, it was also later published under the title “Stories about Technology.” Boris Stepanovich died on August 19, 1938. He was buried in Moscow, in the sixth section of the Vagankovsky cemetery.
Boris Zhitkov's grave
Based on his works, the cartoons “Buttons and Little Men” (the story “How I Caught Little People”), “Why Elephants?” (based on the story “About an Elephant”), “Pudya”, as well as the films “Sea Stories”, “Day of an Angel” and “Storm on Land”. Elements of Zhitkov’s biography were used in Samuil Marshak’s poems “Mail” (1927) and “Military Post” (1943), as well as in the film “Look Back for a Moment” (1984).
Writer's creativity
The move to Petrograd was due to two reasons: firstly, the writer, due to his character, simply could not sit in one place for a long time, and secondly, he decided to take his manuscript “The Evil Sea” to the publishing house. The work was published in 1924.
After this, Boris Stepanovich got a job as a teacher of physics and drawing at a local school, and devoted all his free time to literary creativity. In total, during his life he wrote more than seventy essays, fifty-nine novellas and short stories, seven novels and fourteen articles. Today the man is known primarily as a children's writer. His collections “Sea Stories”, “What Happened”, “Stories about Animals”, “What I Saw” are very popular.
However, the writer himself considered his main work to be the novel “Viktor Vavich,” dedicated to the events of 1905. The full, uncensored version was released only in 1999, when Korney Chukovsky’s daughter Lydia discovered the manuscript in her father’s archives.
Today, writers and critics call the novel “Viktor Vavich” one of the best works that could be written about the events of that time. Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, by his own admission, “found Zhitkov’s widow and kissed her hand.” Andrei Georgievich Bitov believes that the novel “Viktor Vavich” could take a place in Russian literature between “Quiet Don” and “Doctor Zhivago”. Avdotya Andreevna Smirnova writes that Boris Stepanovich’s book is “a great Russian novel, on the scale of Zhivago, but better, much better.”
Boris Zhitkov passed away on October 19, 1938 from lung cancer and was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
Quotes from Boris Zhitkov
- “It is impossible for it to be difficult to study: it is necessary to study joyfully, reverently and victoriously.”
- “This is the worst thing - new pants. You don’t walk, but wear your pants: always watch that it doesn’t drip or anything else. They call you to play - be afraid. When you leave the house, all these conversations! And the mother will run out and shout after her all over the stairs: “If you break it, it’s better not to come back home!” It's a shame right now. I don’t need these pants of yours! It’s because of them that everything happened.”
- “Christ went into the city: people were running, fussing, donkeys were barking furiously, everyone was shouting, fussing, trampling, as if there was a fire in the city all day long. All Greeks are noisy people. Some Turks are sitting in the shade. Those who smoke a hookah, and those who suck on a straw, await their fate.”
- “So this is where the cats moved from the city.”
