Genrik Senkevich Polish writer Date of Birth: 05.05.1846 Country: Poland

Henryk Sienkiewicz - Polish Writer and Nobel Laureate

Henryk Sienkiewicz, a Polish writer and the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905, had the honorable yet challenging task of establishing himself as a national literary classic without a national independence. He accomplished this task brilliantly. Despite his humble origins, though being from a noble family, and his financial struggles in his early life, Sienkiewicz entered the world of literature when he was over thirty years old. Before that, he had gained valuable experience in journalism, having spent two years traveling in America, which he vividly and critically described in a series of essays. The American way of life seemed completely unacceptable to the Catholic-Slavic writer, though it was perfectly adapted for people with a focus solely on money. The official Russian authorities suppressed the "rebellious Poles" tightly, even mandating the teaching at the University of Warsaw to be conducted in Russian after the 1863-1864 uprising. However, no one could prohibit Polish writers from writing in their native language. With the blessing of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Sienkiewicz's early attempts were well-received, and he then embarked on writing epic novels. Success came almost immediately. His patriotic historical trilogy, consisting of the novels "The Deluge," "With Fire and Sword," and "Pan Michael," accurately portrayed the historical context. In one novel, he depicted the struggle against Sweden, in another against Ukrainian Cossacks, and in the third against Turkish invaders. The conflict with Russia was wisely avoided. "Without Dogma" and "Quo Vadis" were enthusiastically embraced by the Russian reading public: historical novels about Ancient Rome had never been successful with Russian authors, and anti-intellectual prose began to be highly regarded in Russia following the bankruptcy of the populist movement. "Without Dogma" was among the books that received praise from Tolstoy and Chekhov. The Nobel Prize in 1905, awarded to Sienkiewicz, also brought a glimmer of glory to Russia, as the laureate hailed from a "subordinate territory."