Gogol, Nikolay (1809-1852), russo:Mirgorod (1835);
Arabesques (1835);
O Inspetor Geral (1836);
Almas Mortas (1842).
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was born in the Mirgorod district of the Ukraine in 1809. His early life was spent on his father's country estate. Gogol's father was also a writer; his works, many of which were written for the Ukrainian puppet theater, are in Ukrainian, and he is classed as a Ukrainian writer. His son, however, decided to write in Russian. Nikolai Gogol moved to St. Petersburg in 1828 with the intention of becoming a full-time professional writer. His first published work, a long narrative in verse, was received with indifference by the critics, and the sensitive Gogol fled from Russia in shame. When he returned from Europe in 1829, Gogol first tried to find work as an actor, but was eventually forced to take a minor post in the civil service to support himself. His experiences in the government bureaucracy are reflected in some of his later stories, especially "The Nose" and "The Overcoat."
