Nikolai R. Erdman
Nikolai R. Erdman was a notable Russian playwright, recognized for his significant contributions to theater in the early Soviet era. Born in the early 20th century, Erdman began his literary journey by writing poetry and joined the Imagist group led by Sergei Esenin. His military service during the Russian Civil War influenced his later works. Erdman's first play, *The Mandate*, premiered in 1925 and received acclaim, being hailed as the first true Soviet play and named the best comedy of that year. Critics compared him to esteemed playwrights such as Nikolai Gogol and Anton Chekhov. His second play, *The Suicide*, faced severe censorship and was ultimately banned from production, reflecting the restrictive cultural climate of the time. Erdman's life took a dramatic turn when a political fable he wrote was inadvertently shared with Joseph Stalin, leading to his arrest and exile to Siberia. Following his release, he continued to work in the arts, primarily editing film scripts under the radar. Erdman passed away in obscurity in 1970, leaving behind a legacy marked by both innovation and the challenges of artistic expression in a repressive regime.
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Nikolai R. Erdman
Playwright
- Born: November 3, 1900
- Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
- Died: August 10, 1970
Biography
Nikolai R. Erdman was a Russian playwright who wrote two somewhat controversial plays while he was in his twenties. As a teenager, Erdman wrote poetry, and he joined the Imagist group of poets led by Sergei Esenin. At the age of nineteen, Erdman was drafted into the Red Army and was sent to fight against the anti-Bolshevik White Army. After his discharge from the military, he began his literary career by writing clever sketches for cabarets. Erdman was writing during a period of Soviet history in which Vladimir Lenin instituted a new economic policy. During this period of Russian history, the old bourgeois was replaced by a new breed of entrepreneur, and the Russian economy began to change. It was under this new policy that Russian theater began to flourish.
The first of Erdman’s plays, The Mandate, was produced in 1925 by the noted director Vsevolod Meyer. The commissar of culture declared that the play was the truly first Soviet play, and it was named the best comedy play of the year. After the production of the play, Erdman was declared the successor to Russian playwright Nikolai Gogol by the critics and was even compared to Anton Chekhov. Erdman’s second play, The Suicide, was even more controversial than his first play. In 1932, after months of rehearsal, the Central Licensing Board refused permission for the play to be produced. As a result, the play was never produced for Russian theater.
Erdman wrote a scandalous political fable which he gave to a well-known actor from Moscow Arts. Unfortunately, in a drunken stupor the actor recited the entire fable to dictator Joseph Stalin, who did not appreciate the humor. As a result, Erdman was arrested, sentenced to three years exile in Siberia, and was banished from the capital for ten years. For the remainder of his life, Erdman survived by editing film scripts, although he never received credit for his efforts. Erdman died in relative obscurity in 1970.