Boris Pasternak's 131st Birthday

Google Dooles 09.02.2021 22:42  Date: February 10, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates renowned Russian writer, poet, musician, and translator Boris Pasternak, who understood the potential of the written word and used the medium to make an impact still felt today. Born in Moscow on this day in 1890, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was raised in a household bursting with artistic influence. The son of a painter and a concert pianist, he dabbled in drawing and dedicated years to music composition, but ultimately, Pasternak departed from his family’s legacy in the pursuit of literary greatness. Pasternak first earned acclaim with his 1922 book “Sestra moya zhizn” , a cycle of poems exploring love and life. As his oeuvre grew, so did his reputation, and he became so popular that oftentimes when he paused during poetry readings, audiences would shout out the words to complete his sentences. Towards the end of his poetic career, Pasternak plotted to smuggle an 800-page manuscript entitled Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR. A semi-autobiographical story about the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Doctor Zhivago was first published in Italy in 1957 and was quickly banned by the Soviet Union for its message of personal liberty. Despite the censorship, the epic novel became an international best-seller and led to Pasternak winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958. These days, it is essential reading in many Russian high schools. Happy birthday to a literary giant, Boris Pasternak! Location: Tags: , , , , , , , ,