Arkadiy Averchenko

Arkady Timofeevich Averchenko (1881—1925) was a Russian writer, satirist, and theater critic.

Arkady Timofeevich Averchenko was born on March 15 (27, N.S.), in Sevastopol, in a merchant’s family. He received his education at home, since poor eyesight and fragile health prevented him from attending gymnasium. He read a great deal and indiscriminately. At the age of fifteen, he took a job as a junior copyist in a transport office. A year later he left Sevastopol and went to work as a clerk at the Bryansk coal mine, where he served for three years. In 1900 he moved to Kharkov.

In 1903, Averchenko’s first story, “How I Had to Insure My Life,” was published in the Kharkov newspaper Southland, and his literary style was already perceptible in it. In 1906 he became editor of the satirical magazine Bayonet, which consisted almost entirely of his own material. After the magazine was closed, he headed another magazine, Sword, which was also soon shut down.

In 1907 he moved to St. Petersburg and contributed to the satirical magazine Dragonfly, later transformed into Satyricon. He then became the regular editor of this popular publication.

In 1910, three books by Averchenko appeared at once, making him known to all of reading Russia: Merry Oysters, Stories (Humorous), Book 1, and Bunnies on the Wall, Book II. “...its author is destined to become the Russian Twain...” V. Polonsky aptly observed.

The books Circles on the Water and Stories for Convalescents, published in 1912, confirmed the author’s title as the “king of laughter.”

Averchenko greeted the February Revolution enthusiastically, but did not accept the October Revolution. In the autumn of 1918 he went south, collaborated with the newspapers The Azov Region and South, gave readings of his stories, and headed the literary section at the House of the Artist. At the same time he wrote the plays A Cure for Stupidity and Playing with Death, and in April 1920 organized his own theater, The Nest of