Valeri Bryusov

Valeri Bryusov was born in Russia, in 1873. The son of a wealthy merchant he received an expensive education before studying at Moscow University.

Bryusov wrote poetry and became an important symbolist poet. In 1894 he began editing and publishing the journal Russian Symbolists.

Bryusov's first volume of verse, Urbi et Orbi, was published in 1903. The following year he established the literary review, Scales, and over the next few years was acknowledged as the leader of the symbolist movement. Bryusov also published The Pale Horse (1904), Stephanos (1905) and the novel, The Fire Angel (1907).

After the October Revolution Bryusov joined the Bolsheviks. He was made head of the government's unit established to control the publication of literature. He was soon discovered to be unreliable and was replaced. However, his poetry was accepted as being ideologically correct and was promoted by the government.

Valeri Bryusov died in 1924.