Sergey Aksakov

Acclaimed for his realistic prose, Sergei Aksakov (1791-1859) captured the essence of Russian life in his trilogy of reminiscences-A Russian Gentleman, Years of Childhood, and A Russian Schoolboy. He also wrote literary sketches, and appreciations of hunting and fishing. Nikolai Gogol, a friend and correspondent, once wrote to Aksakov: "Your birds and fishes are more real than my men and women."