Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev

Works

Biography

Leonid Nikolaievich Andreyev (Russian: Леонид Николаевич Андреев, August 9, 1871-September 12, 1919) was a Russian playwright who led the Expressionism movement in the national literature. He was active between the revolution of 1905 and the Communist revolution which finally overthrew the tsarist government.

Born in the Oryol province of Russia, Andreyev originally studied law in Moscow, but abandoned his law practice to pursue a literary career. He published his first short story, “In the Fog” in 1902. During the revolution of 1905, he was imprisoned with Maxim Gorky. His best known work in the West, The Seven Who Were Hanged, was published in 1908. Among his better known works on religious themes are the Symbolist plays The Red Laugh, He Who Gets Slapped, and Anathema. Andreyev’s reputation in Russia faded quickly after his death. Poor Murderer, adaptation of his short story Thought made by Pavel Kohout, opened on Broadway in 1976.

He was married to Countess Wielhorska, a niece of Taras Shevchenko. Their son is Daniil Andreev, a poet and mystic, author of Roza Mira.