How many of us in childhood did not read amazing stories about travelers ?! Many were fond of such works, but not everyone now remembers that their author was writer and researcher Boris Zhitkov.
Consider today a more detailed biography of this amazing person.
Years of childhood and youth
Boris Zhitkov was born in 1882 in the city of Novgorod. He came from an intelligent family: his father was a wonderful teacher of mathematics and taught at one of the teacher's institutes in Novgorod. Mother with all her soul was devoted to music, in her youth she studied under Anton Rubinstein himself.
However, Boris’s childhood was restless, not only because of frequent travels (his father had a reputation as an “unreliable” person, so he was often refused a place), but because of the nature of the boy who dreamed of travel and adventure.
His conscious years passed in Odessa, then Boris Zhitkov graduated from high school. At the gymnasium, his best friend was a 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 get to Kiev. The boys were returned home and severely punished by their parents.
Dream of sea travel
Boris Zhitkov managed to see a lot in his life, the writer's biography confirms this fact.
Boris was a capable student, following the example of his father, he entered the university, however, in the natural department, and not mathematical.
At the same time, in Russia in 1905 the first Russian revolution broke out. Zhitkov took the side of the rebels, one night he secretly on a sailboat carried weapons to the rebellious sailors from the 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 a traveler. He decided to pass the test for the title of navigator, withstood it with brilliance and was credited aboard one of the ships.
Over the next three years, the future writer was able to visit the Red, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, travel to exotic countries and learn a lot about the flora and fauna there.
Engineering profession
Having wandered around enough, Zhitkov decided nevertheless to get a serious profession for himself. In 1909, he came to St. Petersburg to enter 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 a factory in the simplest position. He returned home to Russia and successfully graduated from college.
In 1912, on the eve of the terrible world war, the future writer again went 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, travel experiences will be very useful to him when he becomes a writer.
Returning to his homeland, Boris Zhitkov saw that a revolution had begun in the country, which turned the young engineer into an unemployed person, forced to starve and wander. It was then that in Zhitkov writer's talent woke up, dozing all this time.
Writing
Boris Zhitkov, whose biography testifies to the fact that he came from an educated family, was fond of literature from childhood. He kept a diary, composed stories and poems, wrote fascinating letters.
And in the Soviet years he became a real writer. Over the years, Zhitkov has 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 native nature and the nature world of distant countries. The heroes of his works were brave sailors, Russian revolutionaries, animals and simply 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." This included such stories as “A Circle under the Christmas Tree”, “Pudya”, “What I Saw”. The heroes of these books are touching, inquisitive and understandable for every child.
The meaning of the life and work of the writer
Boris Zhitkov lived a bright and memorable life, the photo of this man impresses with the special look with which the writer looks at people. This is a bold and at the same time kind look of a person who is ready to fight with all the hardships of life and at the same time love it.
Boris Zhitkov felt truly in love with life, a photo and his biography are vivid confirmation of this.
The writer died early. He was only 56 years old. Before his death, he was seriously ill, but was in no hurry to give up his illness, but fought for every day he lived.
B. Zhitkov was buried in 1938 in Moscow, at the famous Vagankovsky cemetery.
Only 15 years in his life Zhitkov lived as a writer. However, his contribution to children's literature is undeniable. It is the writer's books that reveal to children the beauty of the natural world and teach a careful and reverent attitude to it.