Boris Guber Russian Soviet prose writer, poet and literary critic Date of Birth: 09.07.1903

1. Boris Andreevich Guber: A Life Cut Short
2. Early Life and Influences
3. Literary Career and "Pereval"
4. Tragic Fate and Rehabilitation

Boris Andreevich Guber: A Life Cut Short

Boris Andreevich Guber was a Russian Soviet prose writer, poet, and literary critic who left an indelible mark on Russian literature despite his tragic demise.

Early Life and Influences

Born on July 9, 1903, in the village of Kamenka, Kiev Governorate, Guber belonged to a family of German Lutheran descent. His great-grandfather, Johann Samuel Huber, had arrived in Russia in 1807 and held a prominent position in the Moscow Consistory. Guber's younger brother, Alexander Andreyevich Guber, became a renowned orientalist and academician.

Guber's literary aspirations emerged from an early age, with his first poem appearing in print at the age of 14. He attended a gymnasium and the Volsk Cadet Corps, where he honed his writing skills.

Significant influence on Guber's literary development came from the salon of Valentina Vitalyevna Hern, wife of an agronomist. In this literary gathering, Guber encountered prominent symbolist poets and members of the "Serapion Brothers" group.

Literary Career and "Pereval"

In 1921, Guber's first published poem appeared in the magazine "Red Artilleryman." His transition to prose occurred in 1924, influenced by the writing style of Ivan Bunin. Guber wrote novels such as "Temporary Executive" (1922) and "Shashkina Kontora" (1924), as well as short stories and poems.

He relocated to Moscow and joined the literary group "Pereval," befriending Aleksandr K. Voronsky. Among its members were Ivan Kataev, Andrey Platonov, and Mikhail Prishvin.

Tragic Fate and Rehabilitation

In the mid-1930s, Guber and other members of "Pereval" frequented the literary salon of Yevgenia Solomonovna Khayutina, wife of NKVD chief Nikolai Yezhov. This association proved fatal.

Guber was arrested on June 20, 1937, along with Voronsky, Kataev, and Nikolai Zarudin. They were accused of plotting to assassinate Yezhov. Less than a month later, they were sentenced to death as "enemies of the people" and executed on August 13, 1937.

Guber and his comrades were buried in a mass grave at the Donskoye Cemetery. Their rehabilitation came after Stalin's death in 1956. Details of Guber's death and the circumstances surrounding it were not revealed to his family until 1991.