Aleksei Mikhailovich Remizov
Aleksei Mikhailovich Remizov was a Russian writer born in 1877 in Moscow to a wealthy merchant family. Initially pursuing a career in writing instead of business, Remizov faced political turmoil early in his life, resulting in his arrest during student protests and subsequent internal exile for six years. Following his release, he returned to St. Petersburg in 1905 but ultimately chose voluntary exile in 1921 due to his discontent with the Soviet regime. His work, particularly the autobiographical novel "Prud," is noted for its complex narratives and innovative use of language, often employing poetic techniques that highlight the art of storytelling itself. Remizov's writing style is characterized by its intricate and artistic prose, as well as sudden shifts in perspective. Additionally, he was a skilled graphic artist and musician, integrating musical elements into his literary creations. Despite a decline in productivity after his exile, Remizov's contributions to literature remained significant until his death in 1957.
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Aleksei Mikhailovich Remizov
Writer
- Born: June 24, 1877
- Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
- Died: November 26, 1957
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
Aleksei Mikhailovich Remizov was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1877, the son of a prosperous and cultured family of Moscow merchants. After graduating from a commercial secondary school, he decided not to go into business but to pursue his interest in writing. However, his career quickly ran afoul of politics. In 1897, he was arrested as a result of the student disorders of the time and spent the next six years as an internal exile in northern Russia. In 1905, he was able to return to St. Petersburg, where he would live until he voluntarily went into exile in 1921, unable to come to terms with the Soviet government.
One of his early novels, Prud, which was initially published in serial form in a magazine, was a heavily autobiographical but often sensationalized version of his years of exile. Although he corresponded regularly with the other leading writers of his age, Remizov remained stubbornly independent in his creative direction. He preferred to write very complex stories in which the language was as much a work of art as the stories that it told. Rather than writing in transparent prose that makes itself invisible to the reader, he often used complex poetic techniques that called attention to themselves, including estrangement (writing about the familiar as though one had never seen it before) and sudden shifts of perspective or of tone.
In addition to his skills as a writer, he was a talented graphic artist and often produced calligraphic versions of his short stories. He had substantial talent as a musician, but problems with his eyesight prevented him from using this talent professionally. However, he often deliberately incorporated musical techniques into his writing, referring to his work as being symphonic in nature. After his voluntary exile abroad, Remizov produced relatively little. He died in 1957.