Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin
Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin (1892-1977) was a prominent Russian writer and intellectual who played a significant role in Soviet literature. Born in Saratov, Russia, he initially pursued music before shifting his focus to economics and politics during his education. His experiences during World War I, including three years as a civilian prisoner in Germany, profoundly influenced his writing and perspective on the Russian Revolution.
Fedin's literary career began with the publication of his short story collection "Pustyr'" in 1923, which explored the feelings of disillusionment among ordinary people. His later work, "Goroda i gody" (Cities and Years), is regarded as the first psychological novel in Soviet literature, reflecting on the impact of war and revolution on a generation. Throughout his career, Fedin was known for advocating for literature's social responsibility and critiquing formalist approaches.
He joined the Union of Soviet Writers and received multiple awards, including the State Literary Prize and the Lenin Medal. While he faced criticism for his efforts to control the publication of certain works, his contributions to Soviet literature and his role in shaping cultural discourse were significant. Fedin's legacy is marked by his commitment to exploring complex themes and his influence on the literary landscape of the Soviet Union.
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Subject Terms
Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin
Novelist
- Born: February 24, 1892
- Birthplace: Saratov, Russia
- Died: July 15, 1977
- Place of death: Moscow, Russia
Biography
Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin was born February 14, 1892, to Aleksandr Erofeevich Fedin and Anna Pavlovna Fedina, in Saratov, Russia. From 1899 through 1901, he attended Sretenskoe Primary School, transferring to a music school in Saratov to study the violin. Unhappy there, Fedin transferred to Saratov Commerical School in 1905, where he became enthralled with politics and student demonstrations. Fedin studied at Kozlov Commercial Schoo from 1908 through 1911, and studied economics at the Moscow Commercial Institute from 1911 until 1914. In 1924, Fedin married Dora Sergeevna Aleksander, a stenographer at a publishing house.
Fedin was in Germany during World War I, living as a civilian prisoner for three years before returning to Russia in 1918. The following year, he moved to Syzran’ and began reading speeches and writing and editing political newspapers. He published articles ranging from theater reviews to political commentary.
Fedin enlisted in the military and was sent to Petrograd, where he was a member of the political party in the Bashkir cavalry, and wrote for the Fighting Truth newspaper. At the completion of his military service, he wrote theater reviews for the Petrograd Truth, denouncing “art for art’s sake,” and praising prerevolutionary playwrights for their contributions to Russian theater. He joined a group of intellectuals, the Serapion Brothers, and argued that it is a writer’s obligation to inform and reform the masses. Attacking the formalist movement, Fedin encouraged Soviet culture to become active.
Fedin published a short story collection entitled Pustyr’ in 1923, containing stories describing the existential feelings of uselessness that ordinary people experience. In “Sad,” an older man learns of the Bolshevik revolution and is confused and angered by it. He forbids its discussion and his life is slowly destroyed. Fedin was criticized for his character’s disapproval of the revolution and was accused of failing to commit himself to the revolution’s ideals.
This criticism was disproved with Goroda i gody (1924; Cities and Years, 1962), which is considered Soviet literature’s first psychological novel, examining the lost generation of World War I and drawing heavily upon Fedin’s experiences in Germany. The story parallels the evolution of two friends with the struggles between the outdated bourgeois and the new revolutionaries. In 1934, Fedin was invited to join the Union of Soviet Writers, and in that same year he published Pokhishcheniye Evropy, a novel depicting the Soviet Union as a rival to the West. Sanatorii Arktur (1940) advocates the strength that correct thinking has over weak minds.
Fedin was awarded numerous honors by the Soviet government and writers. He received the State Literary Prize twice and was named professor of Soviet literature at the Gorky Institute. He became counsel to the Moscow branch of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1955, and was elected to the Academy of Sciences in 1958. He received the Lenin Medal in 1962, and in 1967 was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor. He also chaired the Writers Union in 1971 and received the Medal of the October Revolution.
During his rise in literary circles, he prevented the publication of works by writers and former friends. This action was criticized by some, while praised by others. Fedin died on July 15, 1977. Although responsible for preventing emerging writers, Fedin was pivotal in regenerating Soviet literature.