Gaito Gazdanov in Paris, about 1934.

Source:
Society of friends of Gaito Gazdanov: The Photo Album:
Click here to view source.

Gaito Gazdanov's Paris / 46

His first novel, Vecher u Kler (An Evening with Claire, 1930), won praise from Maxim Gorky and he was soon recognized as a major figure among emigre writers. But since he wrote primarily in Russian it took a long time for his reputation to spread further. Even today only three of his novels have been published in English.

Gazdanov’s father and his two sisters were all dead by the time he was seven years old, leaving his mother as the only other surviving member of his family. He never returned to Russia after his escape to Turkey. In 1936, at the height of Stalinist repression, his mother fell ill but not even the influence of Maxim Gorky was enough to allow Gazdanov back home to see her.