Bakhmetev, Vladimir Matveevich

Born Aug. 2 (14), 1885, in Zemliansk, Voronezh Province; died Oct. 16, 1963, in Moscow. Soviet Russian writer. Member of the CPSU from 1909.

From the age of 19, Bakhmet’ev participated in the revolutionary movement. His first creative works were published in 1910. He depicted the hard life of Siberian peasants as well as the process of the awakening of the people’s revolutionary consciousness. In 1923, Bakhmet’ev joined the Smithy literary group. His most important novel, which was from the period of the Civil War, was Martyn’s Crime (1928); the acuity of the problems of proletarian morality which he posed in the novel caused a discussion in the press. The novel The Attack (1933–40; revised edition published in 1957, entitled At the Threshold) was devoted to the Civil War in Siberia. Bakhmet’ev was awarded the Order of Lenin, two other orders, and medals.