Educated through correspondence from the Moscow Commercial Institute, Pilniak received his degree in economic sciences in 1920. The descendent of Germans, Pilniak adopted his pseudonym in 1915 because of the anti-German sentiment at the time. He began writing stories early in life and published his first work, In The Spring, in 1909 when he was only 14. He continued to write during the war years, publishing Entire Life in 1915, Year of Their Life (1916) and Snows (1917). An early association with the provisional government after the fall of the Tsar, led to his short imprisonment by the Bolsheviks when they came to power. In 1921, he published The Naked Year, his first major work which was applauded by Gorky, among others. In 1922, he helped to found the Krug (or Circle) publishing house which would go on to publish many important Russian authors including Babel, Ivanov, Pasternak and Zemyatin. He visited England in 1923, which led to the publication of some travel sketches and stories. During the 1920's, Pilniak travelled a great deal. In 1926, he published The Tale of the Unextinguished Moon, which accused the Soviet regime of causing the death of the military commander Frunze, and for which Pilniak was subsequently forced to apologize. As time progressed Pilniak alienated more and more of the regime and its followers with his critical stories until, in 1937, he was arrested and never heard from again. The exact date of his death is unknown, but was stated by the Soviets as 1941. Pilniak's other works included Nizhegorod Slope (1927), Devils on the Periphery (1929), Rocks and Roots (1932), Birth of Man (1935), The Ripening of Fruits (1935) and Salt Barn (1937). |
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