D. N. Mamin-Sibiryak
Encyclopedia
Dmitry Narkisovich Mamin-Sibiryak (October 25, 1852 – November 2, 1912) was a Russian author most famous for his novels and short stories about life in the Ural Mountains
.
, near Yekaterinburg
in the Urals, into the family of a factory priest. He was first educated at home, and then studied in the Visim school for worker's children. He later attended the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary (1866–1868) and the Perm
Theological Seminary (until 1872). In 1872 he entered the veterinary section of the Saint Petersburg
Medical Academy. In 1876, not having finished the academy, he transferred to the Law Faculty of St Petersburg University
. He studied there for one year and then left, due to health (the beginning of tuberculosis) and financial difficulties.
In the summer of 1877 he returned to his family in the Urals. His father died the following year and all the difficulties of the family fell on Mamin-Sibiryak. In order to find work and educate his brothers and sister the family moved to the large cultural center of Yekaterinburg. There he married Maria Alekseeva who became his literary advisor as well as his spouse and friend. During these years he made numerous trips around the Ural region and studied its history, economics, ethnography and daily life.
From the beginning of the 1880s he was occupied with literary work.
In 1890 he divorced his first wife and married the actress M. Abramova from the Yekaterinburg Dramatic Theatre and moved to St Petersburg. Abramova died a year later, leaving a sick daughter, Alyonushka, in the arms of a distraught father.
Sibiryak means "Siberian" in Russian. Dmitry later explained how his friends gave him the name:
His first major work was The Privalov Fortune (1883) which was serialized to great success in the journal Delo. The publication of the novel Mountain Nest in 1884 in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski
(Notes of the Fatherland) cemented the reputation of Mamin-Sibiryak as an accomplished realist.
Repeated trips to the capital (1881-2, 1885-6) extended Mamin-Sibiryak’s literary contacts. He became acquainted with Anton Chekhov
, Gleb Uspensky
, Vladimir Korolenko
and others. During these years he wrote and published many short stories and sketches. From 1899 until his death, he was associated with the Sreda
literary group, and the Znanie
publishing company, ran by fellow Sreda member Maxim Gorky
.
His last major works were the novels Traits from the Life of Pepko (1894), Falling Stars (1899) and the story "Mumma" (1907).
In his novels and stories he portrayed the life of the Urals and Siberia in the reform years of the development of capitalism in Russia and the consequent rifts in public consciousness, legal norms and morals. His most well known works are The Privalov Fortune (1883), Mountain Nest (1884), Gold (1892), Bread (1895), the novella Okhonna's Brows (1892) and the collections Ural Stories (1895) and Siberian Stories (1889).
His widely-known children's books included Tales for Alyonushka (1894–1896), Grey Neck (1893), and Summer Lightning (1897).
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
.
Early life
Mamin-Sibiryak was born in Nizhny TagilNizhny Tagil
Nizhny Tagil is a city in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, situated east of the virtual border between Europe and Asia. Population: -History:...
, near Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
in the Urals, into the family of a factory priest. He was first educated at home, and then studied in the Visim school for worker's children. He later attended the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary (1866–1868) and the Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
Theological Seminary (until 1872). In 1872 he entered the veterinary section of the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
Medical Academy. In 1876, not having finished the academy, he transferred to the Law Faculty of St Petersburg University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
. He studied there for one year and then left, due to health (the beginning of tuberculosis) and financial difficulties.
In the summer of 1877 he returned to his family in the Urals. His father died the following year and all the difficulties of the family fell on Mamin-Sibiryak. In order to find work and educate his brothers and sister the family moved to the large cultural center of Yekaterinburg. There he married Maria Alekseeva who became his literary advisor as well as his spouse and friend. During these years he made numerous trips around the Ural region and studied its history, economics, ethnography and daily life.
From the beginning of the 1880s he was occupied with literary work.
In 1890 he divorced his first wife and married the actress M. Abramova from the Yekaterinburg Dramatic Theatre and moved to St Petersburg. Abramova died a year later, leaving a sick daughter, Alyonushka, in the arms of a distraught father.
Career
A series of travel sketches From the Urals to Moscow (1881–1882) were published in the Moscow newspaper Russkie Vedemosti (Russian News). Then his sketches In the Mountains and stories At the Border of Asia and In Bad Souls were published in the journal Delo. Many were signed with the pseudonym D. Sibiryak.Sibiryak means "Siberian" in Russian. Dmitry later explained how his friends gave him the name:
"I first tried out the names 'Rasskazov' (from the word rasskazy, meaning story) and 'Tomsky' (from the word tom, meaning volume), but they weren't right! My name was an object of fun to my fellow ordinandsOrdinationIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
. Why were we 'Mamin' (momma's boys) and not 'Tyatin' (daddy's boys)? They decided the best pseudonym was Sibiryak. After all, Yekaterinburg is the other side of the Urals, and Russians regard everything beyond the Urals, including Siberia, as all one!"
His first major work was The Privalov Fortune (1883) which was serialized to great success in the journal Delo. The publication of the novel Mountain Nest in 1884 in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski
Otechestvennye Zapiski
Otechestvennye Zapiski was a Russian literary magazine published in St Petersburg on a monthly basis between 1818 and 1884. The journal served liberal-minded readers, known as the intelligentsia...
(Notes of the Fatherland) cemented the reputation of Mamin-Sibiryak as an accomplished realist.
Repeated trips to the capital (1881-2, 1885-6) extended Mamin-Sibiryak’s literary contacts. He became acquainted with Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
, Gleb Uspensky
Gleb Uspensky
- Early life :Uspensky was born in the city of Tula, where his father was a government official. He attended the gymnasiums at Tula and Chernihiv, devoting much of his time to the reading of the Russian classics. He studied at the university of St. Petersburg for a short time in 1861, until it was...
, Vladimir Korolenko
Vladimir Korolenko
Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko was a Ukrainian-Russian short story writer, journalist, human rights activist and humanitarian. His short stories were known for their harsh description of nature based on his experience of exile in Siberia...
and others. During these years he wrote and published many short stories and sketches. From 1899 until his death, he was associated with the Sreda
Sreda (literary group)
The Moscow Literary Sreda was a Moscow literary group founded in 1899 by Nikolay Teleshov. The name Sreda means Wednesday, taken from the day of the week on which writers and other artists met at Teleshov's home. The last meeting of the Sreda took place in 1916...
literary group, and the Znanie
Znanie (publishing company)
Znanie , was a publishing company based in St. Petersburg, Russia founded by Konstantin Pyatnitsky and other members of the Committee for Literacy. It operated from 1898 until 1913.-History:...
publishing company, ran by fellow Sreda member Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
.
His last major works were the novels Traits from the Life of Pepko (1894), Falling Stars (1899) and the story "Mumma" (1907).
In his novels and stories he portrayed the life of the Urals and Siberia in the reform years of the development of capitalism in Russia and the consequent rifts in public consciousness, legal norms and morals. His most well known works are The Privalov Fortune (1883), Mountain Nest (1884), Gold (1892), Bread (1895), the novella Okhonna's Brows (1892) and the collections Ural Stories (1895) and Siberian Stories (1889).
His widely-known children's books included Tales for Alyonushka (1894–1896), Grey Neck (1893), and Summer Lightning (1897).
English translations
- The Privalov Fortune, (novel), Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow.
- Misgir, and The Father Elect, (stories), from Little Russian Masterpieces, Vol 2, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1920.
- Verotchka's Tales, (children's stories), E.P. Dutton & Company, New York, 1922. from Archive.org
- Wintering Station on Chill River, (story), from A Bilingual Collection of Russian Short Stories, Vol 1, Random House, 1965.
- Tales For Alyonushka, (children's stories), Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1978.
- A Gold Nugget, (story), from In the Depths: Russian Stories, Raduga Publishers, Moscow, 1987.