Mark Aldanow

Mark Aldanov (1886–1957), born Mark Alexandrovich Landau, was a Russian writer and essayist. Born in Kyiv into a Jewish industrial family, he initially worked as a chemist after studying chemistry before turning to literature after the First World War. He emigrated to France in 1919 and later to the United States. Aldanov became known chiefly for the historical-philosophical novel cycle “The Thinker,” published between 1923 and 1927. His work also includes numerous short stories and essays, as well as a play. His novel “The Beginning of the End” was first published in English in 1943 under the title “The Fifth Seal.”