Vsevolod Garshin

Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin (1855–1888) was a Russian author of short fiction whose work bridged the realism of the 1860s and the emerging modernist sensibility. Born into a noble family, he served in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), an experience that deeply influenced his most famous story, "Four Days" (1877), a harrowing account of a wounded soldier lying on a battlefield. Garshin's stories, such as "The Red Flower" and "Attalea Princeps," are noted for their psychological depth, allegorical power, and exploration of mental illness, reflecting his own struggles with depression. Though his literary output was small—only about twenty stories—his intense, compassionate voice left a lasting mark on Russian literature, influencing later writers like Anton Chekhov. Garshin died by suicide in 1888 at age 33.