Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov
Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov, born on October 7, 1738, in Dvorianinovo, Russia, is recognized as one of the most prolific writers in Russian literary history, despite having a limited impact on its broader development. Growing up in a military family, Bolotov's childhood involved constant relocations, which contributed to an erratic education. He developed a keen interest in writing and literature early on, even while serving in the military during the Seven Years' War, where he became disillusioned with the brutality of military life. He eventually transitioned to a position as a staff translator, allowing him more time for intellectual pursuits and prolific letter writing. After marrying Alexandra Mikhailovna Kaverina in 1764, Bolotov focused on writing and managing estates, publishing practical works on estate management while hesitating to share many of his more creative writings during his lifetime. He continued to write until his retirement in 1797 and lived an active life until his death on October 3, 1833. Despite his extensive contributions, much of Bolotov's work remained unpublished until after his passing, reflecting a complex legacy within Russian literature.
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Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov
Writer
- Born: October 7, 1738
- Birthplace: Dvorianinovo, near Tula, Russia
- Died: October 3, 1833
Biography
Paradoxically, Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov was the most prolific writer in the history of Russian literature, yet had little or no effect upon its development. He was born on October 7, 1738, in Dvorianinovo, his family’s estate not far from Tula. His father, Timofei Petrovich Bolotov, was a regimental commander in the Russian army, which meant that young Bolotov spent most of his childhood in the manner of army brats everywhere, moving from one post to another, never able to truly set down roots.
From an early age he developed a fascination with the written word and an all-consuming need to set his thoughts upon paper. Although his family’s frequent moves meant that his education was haphazard at best, with no real continuity, he was still able to gain a working command of French and German, essential for any young man who wished to move in upper-class circles in Imperial Russian society.
His parents died in rapid succession, his father in 1750 and his mother in 1752, leaving him to move home to the old family estate. There he lived alone for a year and a half, practicing geometry, building play forts in the gardens, and writing. Bolotov enjoyed this free-wheeling existence, and only reluctantly gave it up in order to perform the military service that was required of all young noblemen at the time. He was placed in his father’s old regiment, and served in several battles of the Seven Years’ War.
Already an intellectual, he quickly came to loathe the brutality of all things military, and rather than spend his idle hours carousing with his fellow officers, Bolotov quickly learned ways to slip off by himself to read or write. In 1758, he was finally removed from frontline duty to become a staff translator at headquarters, a position that permitted him to indulge his intellectual pursuits. He also discovered the joy of writing letters, and carried on lengthy correspondences with a number of friends, sometimes even penning long letters to them when they were only a moment’s walk away.
Throughout his life, Bolotov often used the epistolatory form in his writing, frequently as a narrative framework, with the addressee exisiting only in his imagination. In 1762, he took advantage of the decree of the newly crowned Peter III freeing noblemen from compulsory military service, and returned home to his estate. There he devoted his time to volumes of writing. He married Alexandra Mikhailovna Kaverina in July of 1764, and although his hope of making an intellectual of her failed, their marriage appears to have been happy. They were the parents of four daughters and one son who lived to adulthood, as well as several who died in infancy.
Bolotov supplemented his income by serving as a bailiff on several royal estates, and began to publish a journal on the proper running of an estate. However, when he moved beyond the purely practical, he was exceedingly diffident about publication, and many of his finest works remained unpublished until after his death. After his retirement in 1797 from civil service, he devoted himself entirely to his writing. He remained active and healthy almost to the day of his death on October 3, 1833.