Ivan Sergeyevich (iˈvan sɪrˈɡjejɪvitʃ). 1818–83, Russian novelist and dramatist. In A Sportsman's Sketches (1852) he pleaded for the abolition of serfdom. His novels, such as Rudin (1856) and Fathers and Sons (1862), are noted for their portrayal of country life and of the Russian intelligentsia. His plays include A Month in the Country (1850)