Gorky Maxim

Maxim Gorky (real name – Alexei Peshkov) (b. March 28, 1868, Nizhny Novgorod – d. June 18, 1936, Gorki, near Moscow) was a Russian writer, publicist and critic. He was declared the “founder of Socialist Realism” and Soviet literature. In 1891, Gorky lived in Georgia for almost a year. He got a job in the workshop of the Transcaucasus Railway. In Tbilisi, Gorky came into contact with the local revolutionaries. It played a decisive role in the formation of his worldview. In Tbilisi, a “commune” was formed on his initiative on Krasnogorsky Street (now Maxim Gorky Street); The events held there had a large audience. Gorky gave speeches in various districts of Tbilisi, he became close to the revolutionary organization of Chugureti, where he was supplied with banned literature.

Gorky's first story, Makar Chudra, was written in Tbilisi and published in the newspaper “Kavkaz” (The Caucasus) on September 12, 1892. It was in Tbilisi that he wrote the poem Daughter and Death, as well as several stories that were later published. In 1898, Gorky arrived in Tbilisi for the second time, and in the summer of 1900, he visited Georgia for the third time with A. Chekhov, artist V. Vasnetsov, and doctor A. Aleksin. He stayed for more than two weeks. In the summer of 1903, Gorky visited Georgia again for almost a month. He was accompanied by his wife E. Peshkova, the director of the publishing house “Znanye”, K. Pyatnitsky, and others. He visited Batumi, Sokhumi, Borjomi, Abastumani, Kutaisi, and Racha. The archives contain documents from the Gendarmerie, which mention Gorky's participation in the work of illegal circles in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, and the financial assistance he provided to the Social Democrats.

In 1905, Gorky joined the Bolshevik Party. At the beginning of 1906, he moved abroad on the instructions of the party. In 1907, he attended the Fifth Congress of the Party in London with the right to vote. In 1928, Gorky visited Georgia for the fifth time. At that time, the Soviet Union was celebrating the 60^th anniversary of Gorky's birth. His birthday was also celebrated in Georgia. Gorky's public speeches and meetings with writers and journalists were organized. The writer came to Georgia for the sixth and final time in the summer of 1929. He vacationed in Gagra. He visited Tbilisi for one day and met with Georgian writers. He reflected the impressions from the trip in the essay In the Soviet Union (1929). In 1931, Gorky sent a letter in which he addressed the Georgian people: “The beautiful nature of your country and your romantic simplicity — these two forces gave me the impetus that turned me, a vagabond, into a writer” (Горький М., Собр. соч. в тридцати томах, т. 25, с. 414).

Literary work: Архив А. М. Горького, т. 1–14, М., 1939–76; Полн. собр. соч. Художественные произведения, т. 1–25, М., 1968–76; თხზულებანი, ტ. 1–10, თბ., 1956–68.

Literature: გ ვ ე ნ ე ტ ა ძ ე გ., მაქსიმ გორკი და ქართველი საზოგადოებრიობა, თბ., 1968; ა. მ. გორკი. ბიბლიოგრაფიული საძიებელი, თბ., 1968; კ ა კ ი ა შ ვ ი ლ ი გ., მაქსიმ გორკი საქართველოში (ბიბლიოგრაფია), თბ., 1969; ც ი ც ი შ ვ ი ლ ი გ., ქართველი საზოგადოებრიობა და მაქსიმ გორკი, თბ., 1977; Г в е н е т а д з е Г. Д., Максим Горький и грузинская литературная мысль в начале ХХ века, Тб., 1961; И м е д а д з е В. К., Горький в Грузии, Тб., 1958; Летопись жизни и творчества А. М. Горького, т. 1–4, М., 1958–60.

G. Gvenetadze