Biography Kurochkin Vasily Stepanovich


(1831 – 1875)

Kurochkin Vasily Stepanovich (1831 – 1875), a poet.
Born July 28 (August 9, S.) in St. Petersburg in the family of an official of the former serf, released “at will” in 1813.
At the age of ten was given to the Cadet Corps, then studied at the St. Petersburg Military Educational Institution – Nobility Regiment – which graduated in 1849 in the rank of ensign. He was in military service until 1853, when he retired.
Since 1857 Kurochkin is engaged only in literary creativity, which soon makes him famous. In those years he translated a lot of Western European poets. A special place in his translation work was occupied by translations from Beranger, which he devoted to many years. Kurochkin managed to make his translations very topical for the Russian political situation. They had an extraordinary success. Transfers not missed by the censorship went to the lists. In 1859 – 73, together with the artist-cartoonist

N. Stepanov (since 1865 – independently) Kurochkin published a weekly satirical magazine “Iskra”, which had great authority: it was read by “friends and enemies.” The poet himself appeared in almost every issue as a parodist, a feuilletonist (under pseudonyms), demonstrating an uncommon satirical talent.
Kurochkin was associated with the revolutionary movement, in 1861 – 63 was a member of the leadership of the society “Land and Freedom”. In 1866 he spent more than two months in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
In 1873 the government closed the Iskra magazine, and Kurochkin began collaborating in Nekrasov’s Otechestvennye Zapiski, placing translations, theater reviews, and satirical verses and satirical articles in various newspapers. At the age of 44, Kurochkin died suddenly on August 15 (27 N. s.) 1875.
A brief biography from the book: Russian writers and poets. A short biographical dictionary. Moscow, 2000.


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Biography Kurochkin Vasily Stepanovich