The Monument To The Major Russian Satirist Of The 19th Century Saltykov-Shchedrin In The City Of Tver, Russia. Editorial Image

Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin born Saltykov, pseudonym Nikolai Shchedrin 1826 – 1889 was born in Tver Governorate. He spent most of his life working as a civil servant in various capacities in several russian regions, including Tver Governorate, where he occupied the seat of vice governor in 1860-1862. The Saltykov-Shchedrin memorial in the city of Tver, erected in 1976 in the 150-th anniversary of his birth, was the first one in Russia. Literature talent made Saltykov-Shchedrin famous all around Russia and abroad. He is regarded to be the most prominent satirist in the history of the Russian literature. He`s managed to compile `the satirical encyclopedia` of contemporary Russian life, targeting first serfdom with its degrading effect upon the society, then, after its abolition, - corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, opportunistic tendencies in intelligentsia, greed and amorality of those at power, but also - apathy, meekness and social immobility of the common people of Russia. His two major works, The History of a Town chronicles and The Golovlyov Family novel, are widely regarded as his masterpieces.