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Sasha Chorny

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Sasha Chorny was a highly influential Russian poet, satirist, and children's writer.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

A satirist is a writer who uses humor or irony to critique social issues or human behavior. Chorny used this skill to create works that were both funny and thought-provoking. His writing reached a massive audience across Russia. Many people, including students, doctors, and lawyers, knew his verses by heart. His popularity was so significant that his poems were often rewritten by hand to be shared. This widespread recognition helped cement his legacy in Russian literature.

His early life was marked by significant personal and social struggles. Born Alexander Mikhailovich Glikberg in 1880 in Odessa, he grew up in a difficult family environment.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

At the time, Imperial Russia had strict quota restrictions on Jewish enrollment in schools. To allow his children to attend a gymnasium, which is a type of secondary school, the Glikberg family underwent baptism. Even after this, Alexander faced instability. He once ran away from home at age fifteen and experienced homelessness after being expelled from a gymnasium in Saint Petersburg. His situation changed when K. K. Rochet, a French-Russian resident of Zhitomir, decided to adopt him.

Before becoming a famous poet, Alexander held several different jobs. He served two years in the army and worked as a customs officer in the village of Novoselytsia.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

He also worked as a journalist for the magazine Volynsky Vestnik. Later, in Saint Petersburg, he held an administrative position for the Warsaw–Saint Petersburg Railway. It was during this time that he met his wife, Maria Ivanovna Vasilieva. Although he sometimes joked in his verse that marrying a co-worker was a misfortune, their marriage was a happy one that lasted their entire lives. They traveled to Italy for their honeymoon in 1905.

Chorny achieved literary fame by using a pen name, or a fake name for an author.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

He published a collection of verse titled *Nonsense* (Chepukha) in the magazine *Zritel*. The impact of these verses was so strong that the government closed the magazine. Despite this censorship, his reputation grew rapidly. Between 1906 and 1907, he traveled to Germany to study at Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg. Upon returning to Saint Petersburg in 1908, he wrote for the magazine *Novyi Satirikon*. This period marked his rise to wide popular acclaim among the Russian public.

Throughout his career, Chorny produced a diverse range of literary works. In 1910, he published *Satires*, followed by *Satires and Lyrics* in 1911. He also expanded into writing for younger readers. He published the children's book *Tuk-Tuk* (Knock-Knock) in 1913 and *Live ABC* in 1914. Even after moving away from Russia, he continued to be productive. In 1923, he released his third book of verse, *Thirst*. He also wrote *Non-serious stories* in 1928 and *Soldiers' tales* in 1933. His final book of verse, *Children's Island*, was published after his death.

World War I and the October Revolution forced Chorny to live as an emigrant.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

He served as a private at a field hospital during the war. Following the revolution, he moved through several locations, including Vilnius, Germany, and France. In 1927, he helped found a Russian colony in the village of La Favière in Provence. He lived in France for many years, working for various publications like the Parisian Russian newspaper. His life ended unexpectedly on July 5, 1932, when he suffered a heart attack while helping to extinguish a fire in the town of Lavandou.

Chorny's influence extends into other artistic fields, such as music and prose. The famous composer Dmitri Shostakovich drew inspiration from his work. Shostakovich created a song cycle titled *Satires* (Pictures of the Past), op. 109, which set five of Chorny's poems to music.

Sasha cherny
Sasha cherny

The writer Vladimir Nabokov also honored him, describing his legacy as a "quiet, beauteous shadow." Even Chorny's pet, a Fox Terrier named Micky, became part of his literary lore. Micky was the subject of the story *Micky the Fox Terrier's Diary*. These connections show how Chorny's words continued to resonate through different forms of art long after his passing.

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