Mikhail Bulgakov
Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright of lasting influence.
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (1891–1940) was a Russian and Soviet writer of novels and plays. His best-known work, *The Master and Margarita*, was released after his death and is often considered a 20th-century masterpiece. He also wrote the novel *The White Guard* and the plays *Ivan Vasilievich*, *Flight* (also called *The Run*), and *The Days of the Turbins*.
Several of his writings, including *Flight* and everything he produced between 1922 and 1926, were banned by the Soviet government—and personally by Joseph Stalin—on the grounds that they “glorified emigration and White generals.” Yet Stalin admired *The Days of the Turbins*, reportedly attending it at least fifteen times. After Bulgakov fell out of favor, the Soviet leader even called a theater to demand the play be staged. Despite such interventions, Bulgakov enjoyed only brief success while alive. Following his death, especially after *The Master and Margarita* was published in 1966–67, his work was reevaluated. Today, he is widely seen as one of the great Russian authors of the 20th century.
Bulgakov was born on 15 May 1891 (3 May Old Style) in Kiev, then part of the Russian Empire, and was baptized on 18 May (6 May Old Style). He was the eldest of seven children. His father, Afanasiy Bulgakov, was a state councilor, a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy, and a Russian Orthodox essayist, thinker, and translator of religious texts. His mother, Varvara Mikhailovna Bulgakova (née Pokrovskaya), had been a teacher at a women’s gymnasium. His godmother was his paternal grandmother, Olympiada, and his godfather was academician Nikolai Petrov.
Afanasiy, born in Oryol, was the eldest son of a priest, Ivan Avraamovich Bulgakov, and his wife Olympiada Ferapontovna. He studied at a seminary in Oryol, then at the Kiev Theological Academy from 1881 to 1885, becoming a docent there in 1886. Varvara was born in Karachev; her father, Mikhail Pokrovsky, was a protoiereus. Afanasiy and Varvara married in 1890. Their other children were Vera (born 1892), Nadezhda (born 1893), Varvara (born 1895), Nikolai (born 1898), Ivan (born 1900), and Yelena (born 1902).
All the children received a strong education: they read Russian and European classics, studied music, and attended concerts. Bulgakov played piano, sang baritone, and loved opera, especially Gounod’s *Faust*, which his sister Nadezhda said he saw at l
- born
- 15 May [O.S. 3 May] 1891, Kiev, Russian Empire
- died
- 10 March 1940
- field
- Novelist, playwright
- nationality
- Russian and Soviet
- known_for
- The Master and Margarita, The White Guard, The Days of the Turbins
Lore & Background
Mikhail Bulgakov was born into a Russian family on 15 May 1891 in Kiev, the oldest of seven children. His father was a professor at the Kiev Theological Academy and a religious essayist; his mother was a former teacher. Bulgakov studied medicine at Kiev University, graduating in 1916, and worked as a doctor during the First World War and the Russian Civil War, experiences that inspired his short story cycle A Young Doctor's Notebook and the story Morphine. He became addicted to morphine after accidentally infecting himself with diphtheria while treating a child, but gradually overcame the addiction with the help of his stepfather's advice.
After abandoning medicine in early 1920, Bulgakov moved to Moscow in 1921 to pursue writing. He worked as a feuilleton writer for newspapers and completed his novel The White Guard in 1924. The novel caught the attention of the Moscow Art Theatre, leading to the play The Days of the Turbins, staged in October 1926. He also wrote the plays Zoyka's Apartment and The Crimson Island. Some of his works, including Flight and all works between 1922 and 1926, were banned by the Soviet government and personally by Joseph Stalin for allegedly glorifying emigration and White generals. Despite Stalin's personal fondness for The Days of the Turbins—he attended it at least 15 times and demanded its production after Bulgakov fell from favor—Bulgakov was only briefly successful during his lifetime.
Reader's Guide
Bulgakov's significance rests primarily on his posthumously published novel The Master and Margarita, which has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. After his death in 1940, and especially after the novel's publication in 1966–67, his work was reassessed, and he is now widely regarded as one of the great Russian authors of the 20th century. His career was marked by frequent conflict with Soviet censorship: several of his works were banned for their sympathetic portrayal of White Army figures and émigrés. Yet Stalin's personal intervention allowed The Days of the Turbins to remain on stage. Bulgakov's legacy illustrates the tension between artistic ambition and state control in the Soviet era, and his later recognition has cemented his place in world literature.
Did You Know?
- Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita was published posthumously in 1966–67.
- He became addicted to morphine after accidentally infecting himself with diphtheria while treating a child.
- Joseph Stalin attended the play The Days of the Turbins at least 15 times.
- Bulgakov's father died of malignant nephrosclerosis in 1907, which caused Bulgakov to turn away from the Orthodox faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mikhail Bulgakov?
He was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright born in Kiev in 1891 and died in 1940. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the twentieth century in the Russian-speaking world.
What is Mikhail Bulgakov's most famous work?
The Master and Margarita stands as his signature novel, blending satire, supernatural elements, and a retelling of Pontius Pilate's encounter with Jesus. It was only made publicly available after his death and is frequently cited as a masterpiece of modern literature.
Why did the Soviet government ban Mikhail Bulgakov's works?
Authorities, including Stalin himself, suppressed several of his pieces—such as the play Flight and everything he wrote from 1922 through 1926—claiming they praised emigration and White Army generals. This censorship effectively silenced a major portion of his creative output during his lifetime.
When was The Master and Margarita first published?
Bulgakov completed the manuscript before his death in 1940, but it did not see a full public release until well after he was gone. The delayed publication allowed the novel to reach readers in a political climate where its satirical edge could finally land.
What other major works did Mikhail Bulgakov write?
Beyond The Master and Margarita, he authored the novel The White Guard and several acclaimed stage plays, including Ivan Vasilievich, Flight, and The Days of the Turbins. These works collectively earned him a lasting place in both Russian and Soviet literary history.
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