Russian literature is the body of literary works produced by writers living in Russia or its neighboring territories. Some of the earliest Russian works were recorded during the Middle Ages in history (dating from about the 13th century), but it was not until the 1830s that the Russian language was finally standardized (a result of the social and cultural reforms initiated by Peter the Great) and Russian writers began to produce literature that gained international attention and appreciation.

The works of Russian writers may be divided between “pre-Soviet,” “Soviet” and “white émigré” classifications. Pre-Soviet literature spans every historical and literary period in Russia prior to the Russian Revolution and includes the period known as the “golden age,” during which many of the greatest examples of Russian drama, poetry and prose were published.

The “Soviet” and “white émigré” classifications represent the division between writers who supported the Revolution and its socio-political aims and those who opposed it. Soviet writers promoted the ideals of strength and order under the new Communist regime; those in the “white émigré” camp continued writing in protest, often in exile or state incarceration, and were usually known as “dissident writers” whose works were suppressed and not permitted to be published until the 1960s.

Russian Literature

The following authors in our database represent the Russian Literature category of World Literature:

(Where appropriate, some authors or works of this period may be found in the Mythology, Fables and Folktales category of this collection)

Bulgakov, Mikhail 1891-1940		Pasternak, Boris 1890-1960
Bunin, Ivan 1870-1953		Pushkin, Alexander 1799-1837
Chekhov, Anton 1860-1904		Solzhenitsyn, Alexander 1918-2008
Dostoevsky, Fyodor 1821-1881		Tolstoy, Leo 1828-1910
Gogol, Nikolai 1809-1852		Turgenev, Ivan 1818-1883
Lenin, Vladimir 1870-1924		Zamyatin, Yevgeny 1884-1937
Lermontov, Mikhail Yurevich 1814-1841

Click on any of the above names to open the corresponding biographical essay.

Click on the red book icon to the left of any name in the list to access that author’s bibliography and our collection of direct links available for the associated titles as hosted by a wide variety of professional and academic Web sites.

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