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Petr RavichFrench writer, translator, journalist.
Date of Birth: 12.07.1919
Country:  France |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- World War II and the Holocaust
- Post-War Life and Career
- "The Blood of the Sky" and Literary Success
- Journalism and Cultural Engagement
- Later Years and Death
Early Life and Education
Romain Gary was a French writer, translator, and journalist born into a Jewish family in Vilnius, Lithuania. He studied law and Oriental languages at the University of Lviv, where he met his future wife, Anna.
World War II and the Holocaust
After the Nazi occupation of Lviv, Gary fled the city and went into hiding. However, he was arrested in Zakopane, Poland. During interrogations, he concealed his Jewish identity and was deported to Auschwitz as a political prisoner. In 1944, he was transferred to the Leitmeritz concentration camp near Theresienstadt, where he was liberated in 1945.
Post-War Life and Career
After the war, Gary lived and worked as a journalist in Poland, writing poetry and marrying. In 1947, he went to study at the Sorbonne and the School of Oriental Languages in Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life. Gary worked as a correspondent for various foreign publications while supporting himself as a driver and translator.
"The Blood of the Sky" and Literary Success
In 1961, Gary published his magnum opus, "The Blood of the Sky," a novel about the Holocaust and his experiences in the concentration camps. The book was a critical success, winning the Rivarol Prize in France and being translated into several languages. It became part of the esteemed "Holocaust Library."
Journalism and Cultural Engagement
Gary became a regular contributor to the newspaper "Le Monde" as a journalist and literary critic. He wrote articles about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Abram Tertz, Witold Gombrowicz, Sławomir Mrożek, Danilo Kiš, and other Eastern European authors. He also wrote prefaces to French editions of their books.
Later Years and Death
In 1966, Gary received French citizenship and returned to Poland, visiting Auschwitz. The events of May 1968 in Paris deeply affected him, and he wrote his second book, "Notebook of a Counterrevolutionary, or the Hangover" (1969). After his wife's death, Gary experienced frequent bouts of depression, leading him to take his own life in 1980.
