Maxim Gorki

Maxim Gorky (1868–1936), born Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, was a Russian writer and activist. After a difficult youth, he adopted the pseudonym “Gorky,” meaning “bitter,” for the publication of his first novella. He achieved his literary breakthrough with the short story “Chelkash” and later became known for the plays “The Petty Bourgeois” and “The Lower Depths.” Gorky was also a significant figure in the Russian revolutionary movement. From 1934 until his death, he served as president of the Union of Soviet Writers.