Boris Zhitkov

Boris Stepanovich Zhitkov (russian: Бори́с Степа́нович Житко́в) ( — 19 October 1938) was a writer from the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, mainly known as the author of children's books and the novel ''Viktor Vavich'' about the 1905 Russian Revolution.

Biography

Zhitkov was born in Novgorod; his father was a mathematics teacher and his mother a pianist. His works include numerous books in which he, in a figurative form, described various professions. His books are based on his rich experience as a sailor, ship captain, scientist, traveler and explorer. Between 1916 and 1924 he was a sailor and, later, a ship's captain. He also worked as a navigator, an ichthyologist, a metal worker, a shipbuilding engineer, a teacher of physics and drafting, and a technical college headmaster.

In 1924 Zhitkov started to be published and soon became a professional writer. He is best known for the hugely successful children's travel book ''What I Saw'' (russian: Что я видел) about the summer vacation adventures of a curious little boy nicknamed Pochemuchka. He was a close friend of Korney Chukovsky, who wrote in his diary entry for 28 December 1931:

Zhitkov is all upset about the self-flagellation going on among critics at the Writers' Union. He says that at the meeting where Eikhenbaum was asked to practice self-criticism, Eikhenbaum responded, "Self-criticism should be practiced before one writes, not after." ..Zhitkov's interpretation of the now famous meeting runs as follows: "We're all just so many sons of bitches, so let's pull down our pants and let ourselves be whipped."

Zhitkov's historical novel about the 1905 Revolution, ''Viktor Vavich'' (russian: Виктор Вавич), published posthumously in 1941, was immediately destroyed and republished in 1999 only thanks to Lydia Chukovskaya having saved a copy; Boris Pasternak called it "the best thing that has ever been written about 1905; it's shameful that nobody knows this book."

Zhitkov also featured as a character in Samuil Marshak's children's poem "Post". The poem was adapted for screen in a 1964 animated film, where Zhitkov was voiced by actor Erast Garin.

On July 10, 1939, Pravda, the newspaper of the Communist Party, ran a feature on him in which his book 'What I saw' was very much praised. Pravda, July 10, 1939, p. 6

Publications

Zhitkov B. ''Angry Sea''. — 1924

Zhitkov B. ''Sea Stories''. — 1925

Zhitkov B. ''Black Sails''. — 1927

Zhitkov B. ''Heads or Tails''. — 1928

Zhitkov B. ''Locomotives''. — 1928

Zhitkov B. ''Boa Constrictor''. — 1928

Zhitkov B. ''Stone Seal''. — 1931

Zhitkov B. ''Sea Stories''. — 1931

Zhitkov B. ''Sea Short Stories''. — 1935

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories about Animals''. — 1935

Zhitkov B. ''Sea Stories''. — 1937

Zhitkov B. ''What I Saw''. — 1939

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories''. — 1940

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories about Animals''. — 1940

Zhitkov B. ''Viktor Vavich''. — 1941

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories about Technology''. — 1942

Zhitkov B. ''Red Commander''. — 1956 — (''My First Books'').

Zhitkov B. ''How I Hunted the Little Fellows'' / Illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky. - 1979

Zhitkov B. ''About an Elephant: Short Stories'' / Illustrations by N. Petrova. — 1980

Zhitkov B. ''Seven Fires: Sketches, Short Stories, Narrative, Plays'' — 1982

Zhitkov B. ''Selected Works'' (Introductory article by K. I. Chukovsky). — 1988

Zhitkov B. ''Selected works'' (Composition, introductory article and notes by V. Glotser). — 1989

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories about Animals''. — 1989

Zhitkov B. ''Short Stories for Children''. — 1998

Zhitkov B. ''Viktor Vavich''. — 1999

Zhitkov B. ''How I Used to Catch Little Men: Short Stories''. — 2001

Zhitkov B. ''Viktor Vavich''. — 2007

Zhitkov B. ''I Will Mend My Ways!''. — 2011

Zhitkov B. ''Magazine for Kids'' "'" (" Sparrow").

References

External links

Biography
at Russia-InfoCentre



* (some under "Zhitkov, Boris Stepanovich", some "from old catalog")

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhitkov, Boris
1882 births
1938 deaths
Children's writers from the Russian Empire
Soviet children's writers
Soviet male writers