Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov was born on the 15th of May 1891 in Kiev, then part of the Russian Empire. He grew up at 28 Vozdvishenskaya Street as the oldest of seven children. His father Afanasiy was a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy and a prominent Orthodox essayist. His mother Varvara had been a teacher before marriage. The family attended concerts and read classics together. Mikhail played piano and sang baritone. He attended performances of Gounod's Faust at least forty times according to his sister Nadezhda.
In 1906 his father died from malignant nephrosclerosis after years of illness. This loss caused Mikhail to turn away from the Orthodox faith toward Darwinian theories. His mother took charge of his education afterward. In 1908 he met Tatyana Lappa who lived in Saratov. They married in April 1913. She arrived in Kiev to study while he began medical school that same year.
World War I broke out while they stayed with her parents in Saratov. Her mother opened a field hospital where Bulgakov worked as a doctor. The couple returned to Kiev in autumn 1914. He graduated from university in 1916 and volunteered for the Red Cross. His wife served as a nurse during this period. He first worked in Kamianets-Podilskyi then moved to Chernivtsi later that year. By September he transferred to Moscow and then to Nikolskoye village in Smolensk Oblast.
His time as a doctor inspired short stories like A Young Doctor's Notebook and Morphine. He accidentally infected himself with diphtheria while treating a child. To relieve allergic reactions from anti-diphtheria drugs he started taking morphine. His stepfather advised injecting distilled water instead which helped him end the addiction. In autumn 1917 he was transferred to Vyazma but left for Moscow trying unsuccessfully to get discharged from military service.
Bulgakov expressed his desire to be a writer as early as 1912 or 1913 when he showed his sister Nadezhda his first story called The Fiery Serpent. It featured an alcoholic dying in delirium tremens. According to his first wife he began writing consistently in Vyazma where he worked on The Green Serpent at night.
After recovering from typhus in Grozny around September 1919 he abandoned medicine entirely. His friend noted Bulgakov quit medical practice permanently on the 15th of February 1920 while living in Vladikavkaz. That same year he published Future Perspectives an almanac of feuilletons. He considered emigrating to Batum in 1921 but failed and moved to Moscow instead arriving in September that year.
His wife had arrived three weeks earlier. He became secretary to Glavpolitprosvet's literary section until November when it closed. There he started work on what would become Morphine. The story appeared only once during his lifetime in 1927. To earn money he wrote feuilletons for newspapers Gudok and Nakanune. Diaboliad came out in 1923.
The death of his mother from typhus on the 1st of February 1922 influenced The White Guard which he completed in 1924. Early 1924 brought a party hosted by Aleksey Tolstoy where he met Lyubov Belozerskaya. He divorced Tatyana Lappa that year and married Belozerskaya the following April. The White Guard began serialization in 1925 dedicated to his new wife.
The White Guard caught attention of the Moscow Art Theatre inviting Bulgakov in April 1925 to adapt it into a play. Staged as The Days of the Turbins in October 1926 it achieved success. That same year Vakhtangov Theatre approached him about another play based on The White Guard. He offered Zoyka's Apartment instead which premiered in October 1926 alongside a third play at Kamerny Theatre in December 1928.
His plays pleased audiences but drew negative reviews from critics. In 1926 he started Flight completing it in 1928 intending to stage it at Moscow Art Theatre. Glavrepertkom issued resolution the 9th of May banning it for glorifying emigration and White Army generals. Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko invited Maxim Gorky plus theater critics to read Flight on the 9th of October. Most attendees including Gorky were impressed by the work.
Rehearsals began next day with Nikolai Khmelyov Viktor Stanitsyn Alla Tarasova and Mark Prudkin in main roles. However Glavrepertkom showed Flight to Joseph Stalin who agreed it should be banned. It would not appear again until 1957 seventeen years after his death. On the 6th of December 1929 he finished The Cabal of Hypocrites only for Glavrepertkom to ban it the 18th of March 1930.
In despair Bulgakov wrote personally to Stalin requesting aid. He received a phone call directly from Stalin on the 18th of April asking if he truly wanted to leave Soviet Union. Bulgakov replied no wanting to stay home. Stalin told him apply for directorship at Moscow Art Theatre. By May 1930 he became director there allowing The Cabal of Hypocrites to stage as Molière in October 1931.
Bulgakov started The Master and Margarita in either 1928 or 1929 burning its first draft in 1930. The initial version differed greatly containing no Master or Margarita characters but titled The Engineer's Hoof instead. During the late 1930s he joined Bolshoi Theatre as librettist leaving when none of his works got produced.
Stalin protected him from arrest yet prevented publication. When Batum premiered in 1939 praising Stalin's revolutionary youth it was banned before rehearsals. He requested permission to leave country but was refused. Poor health marked his final years devoted to what he called sunset novel.
Years 1937 through 1939 brought stress alternating between optimism about possible publication and depression over hopelessness. On the 15th of June 1938 with nearly finished manuscript he wrote: "In front of me 327 pages about 22 chapters... What's its future? I don't know. Possibly you will store manuscript in drawer next to killed plays." He believed it deserved hiding away in darkness.
In 1939 he organized private reading for close friends. Elena Bulgakova recalled thirty years later: "When he finally finished reading that night he said tomorrow taking novel to publisher! Everyone sat paralyzed." Fear gripped them all. P.A. Markov later explained trying publish would cause terrible things. Friends remained constantly at bedside during last month.
On the 10th of March 1940 Bulgakov died from nephrotic syndrome an inherited kidney disorder matching his father's fate. From youth he guessed this diagnosis awaited him. A civil funeral occurred the 11th of March inside Union of Soviet Writers building. Beforehand Moscow sculptor Sergey Merkurov cast death mask of face. Burial took place Novodevichy Cemetery Moscow.
His widow Elena Shilovskaya preserved manuscripts despite decades of repression. She married him October 1932 bringing younger son Sergey into household. During final decade he continued writing plays critical works stories translations dramatisations many unpublished or torn apart by critics.
Much work ridiculing Soviet system stayed desk drawer decades until after death. Publication began slowly starting 1954 when Days of Turbins staged again Stanislavski Theatre. Life of Monsieur de Molière appeared 1962 followed Notes of Young Doctor 1963 then Theatrical Novel plus collection including Flight Ivan Vasilievich Cabal Hypocrites in 1965.
The White Guard prose collection emerged 1966 finally Master and Margarita published 1967 twenty-six years posthumously. This delayed release allowed reassessment establishing him among great Russian authors twentieth century.
Several displays One Street Museum honor Bulgakov family featuring original photos books personal belongings window frame from house where lived. Scientific works Prof Afanasiy Bulgakov father also presented there. Mikhail Bulgakov Museum Kyiv converted literary museum rooms devoted writer plus works Inna Konchakovskaia daughter owner hero novel niece composer Witold Maliszewski preserved house hard soviet times.
This was family home model Turbin family play Days Turbins. Two Moscow museums honor memory located apartment building Bolshaya Sadovaya street number ten parts Master Margarita set since 1980s gathering spot fans Moscow Satanist groups graffiti scrawled walls completely whitewashed 2003 best drawings kept layers different colored paints seen around them.
Bulgakov House ground floor established private initiative the 15th of May 2004 contains personal belongings photos exhibitions related life different works poetic literary events often held excursions animated living characters Master Margarita runs Theatre M.A. Bulgakov seats 126 Café 302-bis same building apartment number fifty fourth floor second government initiative founded the 26th of March 2007 Museum M.A. Bulgakov keeps alive memory through exhibits events.
Minor planet 3469 Bulgakov discovered Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina 1982 named after him. Salman Rushdie cited Master Margarita inspiration Satanic Verses John Hodge Collaborators play fictionalized relationship Bulgakov Stalin inspired Days Turbins White Guard.
Mick Jagger stated Master and Margarita part Rolling Stones Sympathy Devil 1968 inspiration Pearl Jam Pilate lyrics album Yield 1998 written bassist Jeff Ament Alex Kapranos Franz Ferdinand Love Destroy based same book.
Film adaptations include Flight 1970 two-part historical drama directed Aleksandr Alov Vladimir Naumov first Soviet adaptation selected Cannes Film Festival 1971. Master Margaret 1972 joint Yugoslav Italian drama Aleksandar Petrović first novel adaptation selected Yugoslav entry Best Foreign Language Film Academy Awards not nominated. Pilate Others 1972 German TV Andrzej Wajda focused biblical parts moved modern Frankfurt Ivan Vasilievich Back Future 1973 Leonid Gaidai comedy 60.7 million viewers year release seventeenth most popular film USSR ever produced.
Dog Heart 1976 Italian-German science fiction comedy Alberto Lattuada old scientist tries grow man dog. Days Turbins 1976 three-part Soviet TV drama Vladimir Basov adaptation stage name same time Bulgakov stage adaptation White Guard novel. Heart Dog 1988 black-white TV Vladimir Bortko second adaptation follows original text closely introducing characters themes dialogues other Bulgakov writings.
Master Margarita 1989 Polish TV Maciej Wojtyszko four parts noted critics very faithful adaptation After Revolution 1990 Hungarian filmmaker András Szirtes feature-length simple video camera 1987-1989 documentary-like scenes Moscow Budapest New York linked novel explicit links beyond visual documentary level Incident Judaea 1991 Paul Bryers Channel 4 focusing biblical parts Master Margarita 1994 Yuri Kara Russian film released public only 2011 long troubled post-production director resistance cut about 80 minutes producers request copyright claims descendants Elena Bulgakova Shilovskaya.
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Common questions
When and where was Mikhail Bulgakov born?
Mikhail Bulgakov was born on the 15th of May 1891 in Kiev, which was then part of the Russian Empire. He grew up at 28 Vozdvishenskaya Street as the oldest of seven children.
What medical condition caused Mikhail Bulgakov's death?
Mikhail Bulgakov died from nephrotic syndrome, an inherited kidney disorder that matched his father Afanasiy's fate. His father had also suffered from malignant nephrosclerosis before dying in 1906.
How did Joseph Stalin influence Mikhail Bulgakov's career after banning his plays?
Joseph Stalin intervened personally by calling Mikhail Bulgakov on the 18th of April to ask if he wanted to leave the Soviet Union. When Bulgakov chose to stay, Stalin granted him directorship at Moscow Art Theatre allowing The Cabal of Hypocrites to be staged as Molière in October 1931.
When was The Master and Margarita published compared to when it was written?
Mikhail Bulgakov started writing The Master and Margarita in either 1928 or 1929 but burned the first draft in 1930. The novel remained unpublished until 1967, which is twenty-six years after his death.
Which museums honor Mikhail Bulgakov today?
The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum Kyiv preserves family home details while two Moscow locations include the Bulgakov House established on the 15th of May 2004 and the Museum M.A. Bulgakov founded on the 26th of March 2007. These institutions feature personal belongings, photos, exhibitions, and host literary events related to his life and works.