Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov, better known by his pseudonym Maksim Gorky, was born into a poor Russian family in Nizhnii Novgorod, situated on the banks of the Volga River. His early life was marked by tragedy, as he lost his father at a young age and was subsequently beaten by his stepfather. Gorky's mother passed away when he was just nine years old, leaving him an orphan. He was raised by his grandmother, who played a significant role in nurturing his talent as a storyteller.
Despite his natural brilliance, Gorky's academic career was not without its challenges. He failed to gain admission to the University of Kazan, and at the age of 19, he attempted suicide, but fortunately, the bullet missed his heart. This near-death experience had a profound impact on Gorky's life, leading him to embark on a journey of self-discovery and exploration.
For five years, Gorky traveled extensively across Central Russia, taking on various jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a sailor on a Volga steamboat, a salesperson, a railway worker, a salt miller, and a lawyer's clerk. During this period, he was arrested for his public criticism of the Tsar and social injustices in Russia. This experience only strengthened his resolve to use his writing as a means of speaking truth to power.
Gorky's writing career began in earnest in the 1890s, when he started publishing his work in newspapers. His first collection of stories, "Sketches and Stories," was met with critical acclaim, and he went on to write an autobiographical book, "My Universities," which chronicled his travels and experiences. Gorky's writing was characterized by its empathy for the common man, the outcasts, and the marginalized, as well as its critique of social decay in the Russian Empire.
Throughout his career, Gorky was friends with some of the most prominent literary figures of his time, including Anton Chekhov and Lev Tolstoy. His play, "The Lower Depths," was widely praised by Chekhov and was successfully performed in Europe and the United States. However, his political activism ultimately led to his expulsion from the Russian Academy, with his friends Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Korolenko resigning in protest.
In 1906, Gorky left Russia and spent several years living in Europe and America. During this period, he began working on his classic novel, "The Mother," which tells the story of a Russian Christian woman and her imprisoned son, who join a group of revolutionaries under the illusion that the revolution is inspired by Christ's teachings.
After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Gorky was critical of Lenin and the communists, whom he accused of perpetrating "bloody experiments" on the Russian people. He wrote scathingly of Lenin and Trotsky, describing them as "corrupted by the dirty poison of power" and "disrespectful of human rights, freedom of speech, and all other civil liberties." This criticism did not go unnoticed, and Gorky received a handwritten warning from Lenin himself.
In 1921, Gorky emigrated to Europe and settled in Capri, where he continued to write and critique communism. However, after a series of brief visits, he returned to Soviet Russia in 1932, where he was received with great fanfare. He was placed in a luxurious Moscow mansion and was made the Chairman of the Soviet Writer's Union, a figurehead of "socialist realism."
Tragedy struck Gorky's personal life when his son died in 1935. The following year, he died suddenly at Lenin's dacha in Moscow, his death a mystery that has been the subject of much speculation and debate.
