Vasily Grossman

Vasily Grossman (1905-1964) was born in 1905 in the Ukrainian city of Berdichev. He was unknown to the general public until the late 1980s when his novel "Life and Fate" was published and became an instant bestseller. However, before the war, he was popular and recognized. In 1941, he became a war correspondent for the Red Army newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, and came to be regarded as a legendary war hero, describing the defense of Stalingrad, the fall of Berlin, and the aftermath of the Holocaust. His short stories, written with a restrained inner lyricism and a philosophical outlook, are imbued with a love for humanity and a concern for its future. He was one of the first to discover and describe the Nazi concentration camps. Grossman was undoubtedly influenced by this experience, and his view of the world changed. Indeed, after the war, he wrote his most significant works, characterized by depth and clarity. It was also during this time that his eyes were opened to the authoritarian nature of the communist regime.