Boleslav Markevich

Boleslav Mikhailovich Markevich (Russian: Болеслав Михайлович Маркевич; 1822 – November 18 (30) 1884) was a Russian writer, essayist, journalist, and literary critic of Polish origin; author of a number of popular novels, including: Marina of the Aluy Rog (1873), A Quarter of a Century Ago (1878), The Turning Point (1881) and The Void (1884, unfinished).

Biography

Boleslav Markevich was born and died in Saint Petersburg, a member of a noble Russian family of Polish descent. He spent his early years in Kiev and Volynskaya gubernia and received good home education. In 1836 the family moved to Odessa where the boy studied first in the Richelieu Lyceum's gymnasium, then at the Lyceum's law faculty. It was there that he first started to write poetry, critical essays and translations from French, some of which were published by the Odessky Vestnik newspaper.

Markevich started his state official career in Saint Petersburg, the in 1843 he moved to Moscow to join the local governor Arseny Zakrevsky's office. He became a stalwart at both Petersburg and Moscow's aristocracy saloons and, reportedly, had immense success, with women especially, due to good looks, sense of humour, penchant for showmanship and a considerable dramatic talent.