Mikhail Bulgakov

Mikhail Bulgakov (1891–1940) trained as a physician before turning to literature, bringing a keen eye for social absurdity to his fiction and plays. His early works, such as The White Guard and the play The Days of the Turbins, earned both acclaim and official suspicion. Under increasing Soviet censorship, Bulgakov wrote his most celebrated novel, The Master and Margarita, a daring satire of Stalinist society interwoven with a retelling of the Faust legend. The novel was suppressed during his lifetime and published posthumously in the 1960s, becoming a landmark of 20th-century literature. Bulgakov’s legacy rests on his unflinching critique of totalitarianism, his dark humor, and his enduring influence on Russian and world letters.