Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov, born on May 3, 1891, in Kyiv and passed away on March 10, 1940, in Moscow, was an outstanding Russian writer, playwright, theater director, and actor. He created numerous novels, stories, essays, plays, adaptations, screenplays, and opera librettos.

In 1909, Bulgakov graduated from the First Kyiv Gymnasium and enrolled in the medical faculty of Kyiv University, inspired by the example of his uncles, doctors Nikolai and Mikhail Pokrovsky. Due to health issues, he studied at the university for seven years and, after being rejected by the medical commission, voluntarily went to work as a doctor in a Red Cross hospital. On October 31, 1916, Bulgakov graduated with honors.

During World War I, he worked as a doctor in the front-line zone, participated in the Brusilov Offensive, and was later sent to Smolensk Province and Vyazma. During the Civil War, Bulgakov initially volunteered for officer units and was later drafted into the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. After Kyiv was captured by the Volunteer Army, he became a military doctor in the 3rd Terek Cossack Regiment and participated in battles in the North Caucasus. At the beginning of 1920, falling ill with typhus, he remained in the country and began his first dramatic experiments in Vladikavkaz.

In December 1917, Bulgakov visited Moscow for the first time, where his uncle, gynecologist N. M. Pokrovsky, lived, who became the prototype for Professor Preobrazhensky from "Heart of a Dog." In September 1921, Bulgakov finally moved to Moscow and began working as a columnist for capital newspapers and magazines. His works were published in the newspapers "Gudok," "Rabochy," and in the Berlin newspaper "Nakanune." From 1922 to 1926, more than 120 of his reports and essays were published in "Gudok."

Bulgakov's work faced harsh criticism in the Soviet press. According to his calculations, over ten years, there were 298 negative reviews and only three positive ones. In 1930, the "Literary Encyclopedia" noted that Bulgakov failed to appreciate the changes in the country and that his work did not become significant.

Since 1939, Bulgakov's health deteriorated, and he began to lose his sight. He was diagnosed with hypertensive nephrosclerosis and began taking morphine again to relieve pain. During this time, he dictated to his wife the final version of the novel "The Master and Margarita," which was published in 1966 and brought him worldwide fame.

Mikhail Bulgakov passed away on March 10, 1940. His ashes were buried at Novodevichy Cemetery, and a stone that had previously been on N. V. Gogol's grave was placed on his grave.