Valentin Kataev
| Valentin Petrovich Katayev | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 January 1897 Odessa, Russian Empire |
| Died | 12 April 1986 (aged 89) Moscow, USSR |
| Occupation | Novelist • Dramatist |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Relatives | Yevgeni Petrov (brother) |
Valentin Petrovich Kataev (Russian: Валентин Петрович Катаев; also spelled Katayev or Kataiev; 28 January [O.S. 16 January] 1897 – 12 April 1986) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright who managed to create penetrating works discussing post-revolutionary social conditions without running afoul of the demands of official Soviet style. Kataev is credited with suggesting the idea for The Twelve Chairs to his brother Yevgeni Petrov and Ilya Ilf. In return, Kataev insisted that the novel be dedicated to him, in all editions and translations. Kataev's relentless imagination, sensitivity, and originality made him one of the most distinguished Soviet writers.
Kataev was born in Odessa (then Russian Empire, now Ukraine) into the family of a teacher and began writing while he was still in gimnaziya (high school). He was then a sympathizer of the Union of the Russian People and wrote nationalistic and anti-Semitic poetry (ironically, later in his life he married a Jewish woman, Esther Brenner). He did not finish the gimnaziya but volunteered for the army in 1915, serving in the artillery. After the October Revolution he was mobilized into the Red Army, where he fought against General Denikin and served in the Russian Telegraph Agency. In 1920, he became a journalist in Odessa; two years later he moved to Moscow, where he worked on the staff of The Whistle (Gudok), writing humorous pieces under various pseudonyms.
...
Wikipedia