Fyodor Aleksandrovich Abramov (russian: Фёдор Алекса́ндрович Абра́мов) (29 February 192014 May 1983) was a Russian
novelist and
literary critic
Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
. His work focused on the difficult lives of the Russian
peasant class. He was frequently reprimanded for deviations from
Soviet policy on writing.
Biography
Abramov was from a peasant background. He studied at
Leningrad State University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
, but put his schooling on hold to serve as a soldier in
World War II. In 1951 he finished his schooling at the university, then remained as a teacher until 1960. After he left the university he became a full-time writer.
His essay, written in 1954, "People in the Kolkhoz Village in Postwar Prose", which addressed the glorified portrayal of life in Communist Soviet Villages, was denounced by the Writers' Union and the Central Committee. In a later essay, Abramov argued for the repeal of the law that denied peasants internal passports; he also recommended giving the peasantry larger shares of the profits of their labors. This essay led to his removal from the editorial staff of the journal Neva.
His first novel entitled, "Bratya i syostri" ("Brothers and Sisters") was written in 1958. It dealt with the harsh life of northern Russian villagers during World War II. Abramov wrote two sequels to "Bratya i syostri", entitled, "Dve zimy i tri leta" ("Two Winters and Three Summers"), written in 1968, and "Puti-pereputya" (“Paths and Crossroads”), written in 1973. He also wrote a fourth novel in 1978 called "Dom" ("The House").
Abramov started another novel, "Chistaya kniga", but did not finish it before his death in May 1983.
The asteroid
3409 Abramov, discovered by Soviet astronomer
Nikolai Chernykh in 1977, is named after him.
English Translations
* ''The Dodgers'', Flegon Press in association with Anthony Blond, 1963.
* ''The New Life: A Day on a Collective Farm'', Grove Press, 1963. (Alternative translation of ''The Dodgers'')
* ''Two Winters and Three Summers'', Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984.
* ''The Swans Flew By and Other Stories'', Raduga Publishers, 1986.
* "Olesha's Cabin" in ''The Barsukov Triangle, the Two-Toned Blond and other Stories'', Ardis, 1984.
Novels
* ''Bratya i syostri'' (''Brothers and Sisters''), 1958.
* ''Dve zimy i tri leta'' (''Two Winters and Three Summers''), 1968.
* ''Puti-pereputya'' (''Paths and Crossroads''), 1973.
* ''Dom'' (''Th