Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko was a Russian writer, public figure, journalist, and activist who lived in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. He was born on July 27, 1853, in Zhytomyr. His father held the position of district judge and was a collegiate assessor, while his mother was of Polish descent, which allowed Korolenko to speak Polish fluently from childhood. He received his primary education at the Zhytomyr gymnasium, after which the family moved to Rivne, where he continued his studies at a local school.

After his father's death, Korolenko enrolled in the Technological Institute in St. Petersburg but was unable to complete it due to financial difficulties. In 1874, he transferred to the landowner academy in Moscow, where he studied on a scholarship. However, due to his involvement in populist movements, he was expelled and exiled to Kronstadt. In 1877, he returned to St. Petersburg and enrolled in the Mining Institute, where his literary career began.

In 1879, Korolenko's first novella, "Episodes from the Life of a 'Seeker'," was published. That same year, he was expelled from the educational institution again and exiled to Glazov on suspicion of revolutionary activities. In 1881, after refusing to swear allegiance to Alexander III, he was exiled to Siberia for several years. The most fruitful years for him were from 1885 to 1895, when he created his best works, such as "In Bad Company" in 1885, "The Blind Musician" in 1886, and the philosophical story "Without a Language" in 1895, inspired by the World’s Fair in Chicago.

His works began to be translated into foreign languages and gained international recognition. Until 1900, Korolenko lived in St. Petersburg, where he wrote several novellas, and then moved to Poltava, where he lived until the end of his days. In his last years, he worked on his autobiography "The History of My Contemporary," but he did not manage to complete the fourth volume. Vladimir Korolenko passed away on December 25, 1921, at the age of 68.