Mikhail Bulgakov

Lore & Background

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov was born into a Russian family on 15 May [O.S. 3 May] 1891 at 28 Vozdvishenskaya Street in Kiev, the oldest of seven children. His father, Afanasiy Bulgakov, was a state councilor, professor at the Kiev Theological Academy, and a Russian Orthodox essayist and translator. His mother, Varvara Mikhailovna Bulgakova, was a former teacher. Bulgakov studied medicine at Kiev University, graduating in 1916, then volunteered for the Red Cross.

He worked as a doctor in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Chernivtsi, Moscow, and the village of Nikolskoye in Smolensk Oblast. His time as a doctor inspired his short story cycle A Young Doctor's Notebook and the story Morphine, the latter based on his actual morphine addiction, which he overcame with his stepfather's advice to inject distilled water. After a serious bout of typhus in 1919, Bulgakov abandoned medicine for writing in early 1920, according to his autobiography. He moved to Moscow in September 1921 and began writing feuilletons for Gudok and Nakanune.

His novel The White Guard was completed in 1924 and serialized in 1925, catching the attention of the Moscow Art Theatre, which staged it as The Days of the Turbins in October 1926. The play was a success, and Joseph Stalin reportedly attended it at least 15 times, even calling the theater to demand its production after Bulgakov fell from favor. However, many works—including Flight and all works between 1922 and 1926—were banned by the Soviet government for allegedly glorifying emigration and White generals. Despite Stalin's intercession, 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 appeared in 1966–67 and has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. After his death, his work was reassessed, and he is now widely regarded as one of the great Russian authors of the 20th century. During his life, his plays were popular with audiences but attracted negative reviews from critics.

Flight was banned in 1928 after Joseph Stalin agreed with Glavrepertkom that it should be banned; it was only staged again in 1957, 17 years after Bulgakov's death. Stalin's personal fondness for The Days of the Turbins led him to intervene on Bulgakov's behalf, but this did not secure lasting success. Bulgakov's legacy is that of a writer whose major work emerged only after his death, reshaping his reputation and securing his place in literary history.

Did You Know?

• Bulgakov attended showings of Gounod's opera Faust at least 40 times, according to his sister Nadezhda.
• He accidentally infected himself with diphtheria while treating a child, leading to a morphine addiction that he overcame by injecting distilled water.