July 27, 2012
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Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (Ukrainian: Володимир Галактионович Короленко, Volodymyr Halaktyonovych Korolenko; Russian: Владимир Галактионович Короленко) (July 27, 1853 - December 25, 1921) was a Ukrainian - Russian short story writer, journalist, human rights activist and humanitarian. His short stories were known for their harsh description of nature based on his experience of exile in Siberia. Korolenko was a strong critic of the Tsarist regime and in his final years of the Bolsheviks.

 Korolenko was born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, during 1853, the son of a Cossack and a district judge. His cousin Vladimir Vernadsky was the first president of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. He was educated at secondary schools in Zhitomyr and Rovno before undertaking tertiary studies at the Saint Petersburg Technological Institute during 1871 and the Moscow College of Agriculture and Forestry during 1874. Korolenko was expelled from both institutions for participating in the revolutionary activities of the Narodniks movement. During 1876 he was exiled briefly to Kronstadt.

Korolenko's first short stories were published during 1879. However, his literary career was interrupted that year when he was arrested for revolutionary activity and exiled to the Vyatka region for five years. During 1881 he refused to swear allegiance to the new Tsar Alexander III and was exiled farther, to Yakutia.

Upon his return from exile, he had more stories published. Makar's Dream (Сон Макара, Son Makara) established his reputation as a writer when it was published during 1885. The story was based on a dying peasant's dream of heaven, and was translated and published in English during 1892.

Korolenko settled in Nizhniy Novgorod shortly afterwards and continued publishing popular short stories. He published a novel Слепой музыкант (Slepoi Musykant) during 1886, which was published in English as The Blind Musician during 1896 - 1898.

After visiting the Chicago exhibition during 1893, Korolenko wrote the story Without Language (Без языка, Bez Yazyka) based on what happens to a Ukrainian peasant who immigrates to the USA. His final story Мгновение (Mgnovenie, "Blink of an Eye"), was published during 1900.

By then, Korolenko was well established amongst Russian writers. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences but resigned during 1902 when Maxim Gorky was expelled as a member because of his revolutionary activities. (Anton Chekhov resigned from the Academy for the same reason).

During 1895, Korolenko became the editor of the periodical Russkoe Bogatstvo (Russian Wealth) and used this position to criticise alleged injustices occurring under the tsar. He also used his position to publish reviews on important pieces of literature such as Chekhov's final play The Cherry Orchard during 1904.

Vladimir Korolenko was a lifetime opponent of Czarism and reservedly welcomed the Russian Revolution of 1917. However, he soon opposed the Bolsheviks as their despotic nature became evident. During the Russian Civil War that ensued, he criticized both Red Terror and White Terror.

He worked on an autobiography История моего современника (Istoria moego sovremenika The History of My Contemporary).

Korolenko advocated for human rights and against injustices and persecutions on the basis of social class by his essay В Голодный год (During The Starving Year, 1891 – 1892), nationalism in his article Мултанское дело (The Multanskoye Affair, 1895 – 1896), and criticised anti-Semitic Beilis trial (in his Call to the Russian People in regard to the blood libel of the Jews, 1911 – 1913).

Korolenko is generally considered to be a major Russian writer of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Russian singer and literature student Pavel Lion (now Ph.D.) adopted his stage name Psoy Korolenko due to his admiration of Korolenko's work.

A minor planet 3835 Korolenko, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh during 1977 is named for him.