Boris Zhitkov is a writer and traveler. Brief biography of Boris Zhitkov

Who among us in my childhood did not read amazing stories about travelers ?! Many were addicted to such works, but not all of them now remember that the author of them was the writer and researcher Boris Zhitkov.

Consider today a biography of this amazing person.

Years of childhood and adolescence

Boris Zhitkov was born in 1882 in the city of Novgorod. He came from an intelligent family: his father was a very fine mathematics teacher and taught at one of the teaching institutes of Novgorod. Mother with all her soul was devoted to music, in her youth she studied with Anton Rubinstein himself.

However, Boris's childhood was troublesome not only because of frequent travels (his father had a reputation for being "unreliable", so he was often denied a place), but because of the character of the boy who dreamed of traveling and adventures.

His conscious years passed in Odessa, immediately Boris Zhitkov graduated from the gymnasium. In the gymnasium his best friend was classmate Kolya Korneychukov (future children's writer K. Chukovsky). Together they once decided to go on foot to Kiev, however, it was not possible to reach Kiev. The boys were returned to their homes and severely punished by their parents.

Dream of sea voyages

Much had time to see for his life Boris Zhitkov, a biography of the writer confirms this fact.

Boris was an apt pupil, following the example of his father, he entered the university, true, to a natural department, not a mathematical one.

At the same time in Russia in 1905 the first Russian revolution was played out. Zhitkov took the side of the insurgents, one night he secretly sailed a sailboat to the rebelling sailors from the ship "Battleship Potemkin". The rebellious student was not tolerated at the university and expelled.

But Zhitkov did not give up, he decided to fulfill his old dream - to become a sailor and traveler. He decided to pass the exam for the title of navigator, with brilliance withstood it and was enlisted on board one of the ships.

Over the next three years, the future writer was able to visit both the Red, Black and Mediterranean seas, travel to exotic countries and learn a lot about the local flora and fauna.

Profession of engineer

After a long walk, Zhitkov decided to get a serious profession for himself. In 1909 he came to Petersburg to enroll in the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. Zhitkov passed the entrance exams and again became a student. He left for practice in Europe, where he worked at the plant in the simplest position. He returned home to Russia and successfully graduated from the institute.

In 1912, on the eve of a terrible world war, the future writer again goes on a journey. This time it became a circumnavigation. Zhitkov saw with his own eyes all the bright and unique colors of Asian countries: India, China, Ceylon. Later impressions of travel will be very useful to him when he becomes a writer.

Returning home, Boris Zhitkov saw that a revolution had begun in the country, which turned a young engineer into an unemployed, forced to starve and wander. That's when Zhitkov woke up writing talent, dozing all this time.

Writing

Boris Zhitkov, whose biography shows that he came from an educated family, was fond of literature since childhood. He kept a diary, wrote stories and poems, wrote fascinating letters.

And in the Soviet years he became a real writer. In all these years, Zhitkov published more than 192 works. These are stories, novels, travel notes. His books are still very popular with children, because in them the author carefully describes both the world of his native nature and the world of nature of distant countries. The heroes of his works were brave sailors, Russian revolutionaries, animals and just brave people.

Zhitkov created a whole series of works for very young readers, he called himself the author of the "encyclopedia for four-year-old children." These included such stories as "Lace under the Christmas tree," "Pudding," "What I saw." The characters of these books are touching, inquisitive and understandable for every child.

The meaning of writer's life and work

A bright and memorable life lived Boris Zhitkov, a photo of this man strikes a special look, with which the writer looks at people. This is a bold and at the same time kind view of a man who is ready to struggle with all the hardships of life and at the same time to love her.

Boris Zhitkov felt really in love with life, a photo and his biography - a vivid confirmation of this.

The writer died early. He was only 56 years old. Before his death, he was seriously ill, but did not hurry to give up his illness, but fought for every day he lived.

B. Zhitkov was buried in 1938 in Moscow, at the famous Vagankovskoye cemetery.

Only 15 years in his life Zhitkov lived as a writer. However, his contribution to children's literature is undeniable. It is the books of the writer that open all the beauty of the natural world to children and teach them a careful and quivering attitude towards it.