Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov (1812, 1891), an outstanding Russian writer, is known for his three famous novels: "Oblomov", "Obryv", and "Obyknovennaya istoriya". He was also a literary critic and publicist, holding the civil rank of Actual State Councillor.

Goncharov was born on June 6, 1812, in Simbirsk into a merchant family. At the age of seven, he lost his father, and his godfather, retired sailor Nikolai Nikolayevich Tregubov, took care of the children's upbringing, effectively replacing Goncharov's father and providing him with basic education. Ivan then studied at a private boarding school, and at ten, at his mother's insistence, he moved to Moscow, where he enrolled in a commercial school and spent eight years there, although his studies were not easy for him. In 1831, he entered the Faculty of Philology at Moscow University, graduating three years later.

Upon returning home, Goncharov worked as a secretary to the governor but soon moved to St. Petersburg, where he became a translator in the Ministry of Finance, working there until 1852.

From an early age, Goncharov was passionate about reading and by the age of 15 was already familiar with the works of Karamzin, Pushkin, Derzhavin, and others. His talent for writing emerged in childhood, and his first works, "Likhaya bolest" and "Schastlivaya oshibka", were published under a pseudonym in the magazines "Podsnezhnik" and "Lunnye nochi".

His creativity coincided with an important stage in Russian literature. In 1846, he met Belinsky's circle, and in 1847, "Obyknovennaya istoriya" was published in the magazine "Sovremennik". In 1848, the story "Ivan Savich Podzhabrin", written six years earlier, was published.

From 1852 to 1855, Goncharov was on a round-the-world journey, during which he created a series of travel essays titled "Frigate Pallada". Upon returning to St. Petersburg, he published the first essays, and in 1858, a book was released that became a significant event in 19th-century literature.

In 1859, his main novel "Oblomov" was published, bringing him fame. Goncharov then began working on a new novel "Obryv".

After several job changes, he retired in 1867 and resumed work on "Obryv", which he wrote for 20 years. Despite the difficulties, he completed the novel in 1869, which became part of a trilogy along with "Obyknovennaya istoriya" and "Oblomov". The work reflected the era of serfdom in Russia.

After "Obryv", Goncharov often fell into depression, wrote little, mainly critical essays. He was lonely and frequently ill. Once, after catching a cold, he developed pneumonia and died on September 15, 1891, at the age of 79.