Profile of Samuil Marshak on Famous Like Me

Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak (Russian: Самуил Яковлевич Маршак, November 3 (October 22 O.S.), 1887 - June 4, 1964) was a Russian writer, translator and children's poet. He has translated into Russian Shakespeare's sonnets, poems of William Blake, Kipling's stories and many other works.

Early Years

Samuil was born November 3, 1887 in Voronezh his father was a foreman on a chemical plant. He got good home education and studied in a gymnasium (secondary school) of Ostrogozhsk (a suburb of Voronezh) town. Samuil started to write poetry from his Voronezh childhood.

In 1902 the Marshak's family moved to Saint Petersburg. There was a complication: as a Jew, Marshak could not legally live outside the Pale of Settlement, thus he could not attend schools while living in the city. Marshak's parents arranged meeting with influential critic Vladimir Stasov who was so impressed by poetical talents of the schoolboy that he organized exception from the Pale laws for Samuil and his family. He also introduced Marshak to Maxim Gorky and Feodor Chaliapin who also helped the boy quite a lot.

In 1904 Samuil was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He could not live in the northern city of Saint Petersburg. Maxim Gorky arranged for Samuil to live with Gorky's family in Yalta (1904-1907), Gorky and Chalyapin also paid for his education and therapy.

Young poet, philosopher and translator

In 1904 he got his first publications in magazines Jewish Life and Young Judea. In 1907 he returned to Saint Petersburg, published a lot in the popular magazine Satyricon.

In 1912 he moved to England and studied philosophy at the University of London. In his senior years at University of London he published in Russia his translations from William Blake, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth. Shortly before World War I, in 1914 he returned to Russia and devoted himself to translations.

Children's poetry

In 1917 Marshak worked with children of Jewish refugees. This was his first experience working with children. In the summer of 1917 he and a group of enthusiasts organized Children's town that included children's theater, library, and studios. For that theater he wrote plays that later became the book Plays for Children.

From writing children's fiction he moved on to writing poetry for children. Starting from 1922 he worked with the publishing house Raduga (Rainbow) where he published: Детки в клетке (Kids in the cage), Пожар (Fire) 1923, Сказка о глупом мышонке (Tale of a little mouseling), Синяя птица (Blue bird), Цирк (Circus), Мороженое (Ice-cream), Вчера и сегодня» (Yesterday and today) 1925, Багаж (Luggage) 1926, Пудель (Poodle), Почта (Post) 1927, Вот такой рассеянный (Such an absent-minded) 1930, that became very popular.

Later years

In 1937 Marshak moved to Moscow, where he worked on children's books and translations. During World War II he published satires against the nazis. After the war he continued to publish children's books: Разноцветная книга (Multicolored book) 1948, Круглый год (All year round) 1948, Тихая сказка (Quiet tale) 1956, etc.

The last years he wrote aphoristic verses that he named lyrical epigrams. They were published in his last book Selected Lyrics (Избранная Лирика) 1963. He also published three tale plays: Twelve months 1958, Afraid of troubles - cannot have luck 1962 and Smart things 1964. He translated Gianni Rodari, William Blake, Edward Lear, Rudyard Kipling. Many of his translations became native for Russian culture, so it was often said that Marshak was not a translator but a co-author of them.

Samuil Marshak died on 4 June 1964 and was buried in Moscow.

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