Biography Fofanov Konstantin Ivanovich


(1862-1911)

Fofanov Konstantin Ivanovich (1862 – 1911), the poet.
Born May 18 (30 N. s.) In St. Petersburg in a merchant family. He studied in private boarding schools, then in the city school of Petersburg, which he left in a year and a half.
Fofanov’s literary activity began in 1881, and very soon his poems gain fame. At the end of the 1880s he became a regular employee of the newspaper Novoye Vremya, published by A. Suvorin, receives all possible support from him. It is also published in other publications of the most varied orientation.
His poetry was highly appreciated by A. Maikov, Ya. Polonsky, L. Tolstoy, constantly supported him, since Fofanov’s life was difficult: the only breadwinner of a large family, he suffered from chronic alcoholism and lived in poverty.
Having no systematic education, no desire for self-development, Fofanov possessed an extraordinary natural talent and an amazing flair, which made his work a notable phenomenon in Russian poetry of the late 19th century.
Collections of poems by Fofanov “Poems” (1887 and 1889), “Shadows and Mysteries” (1892), “Illusions” (1900) were unusually popular. Among his poems there are narrative stories, such as “Baron Clacke” (1892), “Unusual novel” (1900), poems “Old Oak” (1887), “Wolves” (1889), fairy tales “Kamenotes” (1885) Enchanted Prince “(1900).
Fofanov had a great influence on the work of modernists of different generations. His admirers were V. Bryusov and I. Severyanin, ego-futurists created the cult of Fofanov,
K. Fofanov died in the hospital on May 17 (30 N. p.) In 1911 in St. Petersburg.
A short biography from the book: Russian writers and poets. A short biographical dictionary. Moscow, 2000.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Biography Fofanov Konstantin Ivanovich