Boris Zhitkov is a writer and traveler. Short biography of Boris Zhitkov

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Which of us in childhood did not read amazing stories about travelers?! Many were fond of such works, but not everyone now remembers that their author was the writer and researcher Boris Zhitkov.

Let's take a closer look at the biography of this amazing person today.

Years of childhood and youth

Boris Zhitkov was born in 1882 in the city of Novgorod. He came from an intelligent family: his father was an excellent teacher of mathematics and taught at one of the teacher's institutes in Novgorod. Mother was devoted to music with all her heart, in her youth she studied with Anton Rubinstein himself.

However, Boris's childhood was restless not only because of frequent moves (his father had a reputation as an "unreliable" person, so he was often denied a place), but because of the nature of the boy, who dreamed of travel and adventure.

His conscious years passed in Odessa, Boris Zhitkov immediately graduated from the gymnasium. In the gymnasium, his classmate Kolya Korneichukov (the future children's writer K. Chukovsky) became his best friend. Together they once decided to go on foot to Kyiv, however, to get to Kyivfailed. The boys were returned home and severely punished by their parents.

Dream of sea voyages

Boris Zhitkov managed to see a lot in his life, the biography of the writer confirms this fact.

Boris was a capable student, following the example of his father, he entered the university, however, the natural department, not the mathematical one.

At the same time, in Russia in 1905, the first Russian revolution broke out. Zhitkov took the side of the rebels, one night he secretly smuggled weapons on a sailboat to the rebel sailors from the battleship Potemkin. The rebellious student was not tolerated at the university and was expelled.

But Zhitkov did not give up, he decided to fulfill his old dream - to become a sailor and traveler. He decided to pass the exam for the rank of navigator, passed it with flying colours, and was enrolled on board one of the ships.

Over the next three years, the future writer was able to visit the Red, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, travel to exotic countries and learn a lot about the local flora and fauna.

Engineer Profession

Having wandered around enough, Zhitkov decided to get a serious profession for himself. In 1909 he came to St. Petersburg to enter the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. Zhitkov passed the entrance exams and became a student again. He left for practice in Europe, where he worked at a factory in the simplest position. He returned home to Russia and successfully graduated from the institute.

In 1912, on the eve ofterrible world war, the future writer again sets off on a journey. This time it became a circumnavigation. Zhitkov saw with his own eyes all the bright and unique colors of Asian countries: India, China, Ceylon. Later, the impressions of travel will be very useful to him when he becomes a writer.

Returning to his homeland, Boris Zhitkov saw that a revolution had begun in the country, which turned a young engineer into an unemployed man, forced to starve and wander. That's when the writer's talent woke up in Zhitkovo, dozing all this time.

Writing

Boris Zhitkov, whose biography indicates that he came from an educated family, was fond of literature since childhood. He kept a diary, wrote stories and poems, and wrote fascinating letters.

And in the Soviet years he became a real writer. In total, over the years Zhitkov published more than 192 works. These are stories, novels, travel notes. His books are still very popular with children, because in them the author carefully describes both the world of his native nature and the natural world of distant countries. The heroes of his works were brave sailors, Russian revolutionaries, animals and just brave people.

Zhitkov created a whole series of works for very young readers, he called himself the author of an "encyclopedia for four-year-olds." This included such stories as "Mug under the Christmas tree", "Pudya", "What I saw." The characters in these books are touching, inquisitive and understandable for every child.

The meaning of life andwriter's creativity

Boris Zhitkov lived a bright and memorable life, the photo of this man strikes with a special look with which the writer looks at people. This is a bold and at the same time kind look of a person who is ready to fight all the hardships of life and at the same time love it.

Boris Zhitkov felt truly in love with life, his photo and biography are a vivid confirmation of this.

The writer died early. He was only 56 years old. Before his death, he was seriously ill, but he was in no hurry to give up his illness, but fought for every day he lived.

B. Zhitkov was buried in 1938 in Moscow, at the famous Vagankovsky cemetery.

Zhitkov lived only 15 years in his life as a writer. However, his contribution to children's literature is undeniable. It is the writer's books that reveal to children all the beauty of the natural world and teach a careful and reverent attitude towards it.