Song of the Stormy Petrel

Date: 1901

Region: Europe

Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion

Medium: Literature


Artist: Maksim Gor'kii

Confronting Bodies: Bolsheviks

Dates of Action: 1901

Location:Soviet Union

Description of Artwork: Maksim Gor'kii's work earned him the title as the founder of "socialist realism" literature from Lenin and Stalin. His vagrant life as an orphan and his experiences in the Russian intellectual scene are documented in his three-part autobiography. Among his earlier works are two books of short stories that made him famous in his country. Most of his books were commentaries on the turbulent Russian political landscape of his time, whether they were fiction or non-fiction, including Song of the Stormy Petrel (1901).

The Incident: In 1901 Song of the Stormy Petrel was censored for being seditious. The following year he was elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences and Letters, only for his election to be annulled on the orders of emperor Nicholas II. Koralle and Chekhov resigned in protest.

Results of Incident: The following year he was elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences and Letters, only for his election to be annulled on the orders of emperor Nicholas II. Koralle and Chekhov resigned in protest.

Source: Censorship: A World Encyclopedia