Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin, born in 1855 and passed away in 1888, was a Russian writer, poet, and art critic, distinguished by a keen sense of justice and compassion for the suffering of others. His biography and work vividly reflect the sensitive nature of the writer.

Vsevolod was born on February 2, 1855, in the estate of Pleasant Valley, located in the Yekaterinoslav province. His father, a nobleman and naval officer, came from a lineage known since the times of the Golden Horde. The writer's mother was an educated woman interested in politics and literature, and she spoke several foreign languages fluently.

When Vsevolod was five years old, his mother left the family for the children's tutor P. V. Zavadsky, who was the organizer of a secret political society. After the revolutionary was arrested, she went into exile with him. This family drama had a profound impact on the impressionable and nervous boy, who later suffered from severe bouts of nervous disorder.

After graduating from gymnasium, Vsevolod enrolled in the Mining Institute, but soon realized that he was more drawn to art and literature than to science. He did not complete his education, as in 1877 Russia entered into war with Turkey, and Garshin volunteered to go to the front.

In one of the first battles, he bravely led his regiment into attack but was wounded in the leg, which made him unable to continue military service. After receiving an officer's rank and retiring, Vsevolod turned to literature. His early stories, such as "Four Days," "From the Memories of Private Ivanov," and "The Coward," were dedicated to military themes.

Garshin was deeply affected by social injustice and, like many representatives of the progressive intelligentsia in Russia, felt a personal responsibility for what was happening in the country, where the old serfdom was being replaced by a capitalist system. He fought against social injustice with his pen in his works.

Garshin's creativity was characterized by simplicity, conciseness, and a lack of metaphors and comparisons. Most of his works are written in the form of diaries, letters, and confessions. Among his most significant works are "The Red Flower," "Artists," and "Nadezhda Nikolaevna."

Garshin also wrote for children, and his stories "The Traveling Frog," "What Was Not," and "The Tale of Proud Aggia" found their place in children's literature.

In the early 1880s, the writer's mental state deteriorated, and he spent about two years in a psychiatric hospital. In 1883, he married N. M. Zolotilova, a student of women's medical courses, and was happy for several years. However, a severe depression followed, leading to his death. In the spring of 1888, the public was shocked by the news of Garshin's suicide.