Yuri Tynyanov

Biography

Yuri Nikolaevich Tynyanov was born on October 18, 1894, in Rezhitsa, Vitebsk province, Russian Empire (now Rezekne, Latvia). His father, named Nikolai Tynyanov, was a Medical Doctor. From 1904-1912 Tynyanov studied at Pskov Classical Gymnasium, where his younger school-mate was Veniamin Kaverin. In 1916 Tynyanov married Kaverin's sister, Elena Silber. From 1912-1918 Tynyanov studied at St. Peterburg University, then carried post-graduate research on Fyodor Dostoevsky and Nikolay Gogol. From 1921-1931 Tynyanov was professor of Russian literature at the Institute of History of Arts. He also was among leading literary critics in Russia. In 1922 Tynyanov took patronage over the literary group Serapionovy Bratya (The Serapion Brothers). The group was initiated by Yevgeni Zamyatin who professed that "true literature can be created only by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels, and skeptics" at his literary seminars with aspiring writers. They took their name from the story of E.T.A.Hoffmann titled 'Serapion Brothers', about artistic freedom. The group included Mikhail Zoshchenko, Lev Lunts, Viktor Shklovskiy, Nikolai Tikhonov, Mikhail Slonimsky, Vsevolod Ivanov, and Veniamin Kaverin.They also attended seminars of Korney Ivanovich Chukovskiy. They lived in the famous artistic community known as 'Dom Iskusstv' (House of Arts) in a former aristocratic palace on the Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg. The writers of the group were non-conformists and were in opposition to the official Soviet literature. Their leader Yevgeni Zamyatin fearlessly criticized Soviet policy of "Red Terror" and intimidation of intellectuals under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. Tynyanov's best known work is 'Poruchik Kizhe' (Lieutenant Kije). It is a satire on Russian-Soviet bureaucracy, set in the reign of Emperor Paul I. A non-existent Lieutenant Kije is created by a bureaucratic error and maintains existence as a file, while a real Lieutenant Sinyukhaev was "killed" in the file, and the Emperor had signed it. Kije is treated with attention in the file, though nobody ever saw him. Kije has a love affair; is sent to Siberia and brought back; marries and has children; makes a career and receives land and possessions; retires as a decorated General and receives a State Funeral when he "dies" - all in the file. All by the Emperor's command. Tynyanov collaborated with directors Grigoriy Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg in their film adaptation of 'Shinel' (The Overcoat) by Nikolay Gogol, and on the original production of 'C.V.D.'. Tynyanov also wrote important critical works on Aleksandr Pushkin and other Russian writers. He died on December 20, 1943, in Moscow, and was laid to rest in Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.