Sollogub, Vladimir

Born Aug. 8 (20), 1813, in St. Petersburg; died June 5 (17), 1882, in Hamburg. Russian writer. Count.

In 1834, Sollogub graduated from the University of Dorpat (Tartu). His first work was published in 1837 in Sovremennik (The Contemporary); from 1839 his works appeared in Otechestvennye zapiski (The Fatherland Notes). His “society” novellas, including “The Lion,” “The Bear,” and “High Society,” depicted the emptiness and vanity of high society life with subtle irony. His short stories “The Little Dog” and “The Family Pupil” were written in the Gogolian vein. In the novella “Tarantas” (1845), Sollogub used the traveler’s sketch to produce striking images of daily life in Russian rural districts.

After 1845, Sollogub deviated from progressive literary trends. He wrote mainly vaudevilles, for example, Woe From a Weak Heart, which became mainstays in the repertoires of Russian theaters. His works include memoirs on A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, and M. I. Lermontov.