(1890-1960) novelist,poet, translator, short-story writer
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was born in Moscow to Leonid Pasternak, a celebrated painter, and Rosa Kaufman, a concert pianist. The family was established in the intellectual and cultural circles of Moscow. Indeed, Leo tolstoy was a family friend and played a role in the formation of Pasternak’s literary style. An excellent student, Pasternak received the Russian equivalent of valedictorian rank and in 1908 began to study law at Moscow University. While there, he became very interested in philosophy and decided to pursue his studies at the University of Marburg in Germany in 1912.
Pasternak successfully completed his studies and in 1914 published his first volume of poetry, The Twin in the Clouds. Two subsequent collections, Over the Barriers (1916) and My Sister, Life (1917), established his reputation as a major Russian poet. His poetic works combined the elements of symbolism and futurism, with verse that is lyrical and emotional, and contains some of the most profound images and metaphors found in Russian poetry.
At first, Pasternak supported the Bolshevik revolution, but he soon was disenchanted with the failed promises of the communist regime. During the 1920s, he began his prolific career as a fiction writer. In The Childhood of Lovers (1924), Pasternak explores the psychological makeup and emotions of a young girl. He published a short autobiographical work, Safe Conduct (1931), and a brilliant collection of poetry, Second Birth (1932). Because of his interest in exploring ethical themes and his political disillusionment, he came under repeated attacks from the government during the 1930s and was forbidden to publish. He supported himself by translating English and German poets into Russian. During these years, Pasternak gained the respect of Russian intellectual circles.
Pasternak received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1958 as a result of his most celebrated work, Doctor Zhivago (1957). The epic novel recounts the experiences of a young doctor, Yuri Zhivago, during the upheavals of the early 20th century. The novel’s insights into the Communist regime quickly brought about government criticism and censure. It was first printed in Italy in 1957, followed by an English translation in 1958 and its publication in 1959 in the United States. Forced by the Soviet government to refuse the Nobel Prize, Pasternak was expelled from the Soviet Writers’ Union and exiled to an artists’ community outside Moscow. He died virtually abandoned by everyone except close friends. Critical acclaim for his work did not come in Russia until years after his death.
Pasternak is now recognized as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. He left a legacy of courage and genius that is still admired today. He sacrificed his life for his work, to which his own countrymen were denied access until the 1970s.
A Work about Boris Pasternak
Barnes, Christopher. Boris Pasternak: A Literary Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
