Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was born on January 29, 1890, in Moscow to a family of an artist and a pianist. He had two sisters and a brother. Their apartment often hosted well-known figures in the arts, with small concerts held, among the guests were Leo Tolstoy, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Isaac Levitan. This time can be considered the beginning of his creative path. In 1903, he met the family of composer Scriabin. At the age of 13, Pasternak began composing music, but after six years he abandoned it, as he did not have perfect pitch.

In 1909, he graduated from high school in Moscow and enrolled in the historical and philological faculty of Moscow University, choosing the philosophy department. In 1912, with money collected by his mother, he went to Germany to study at the University of Marburg for the summer. However, losing interest in philosophy, he dropped out and went to Italy for a few weeks. Upon returning to Moscow, Pasternak completed his studies at the university in 1913 and fully dedicated himself to creativity.

He wrote his first poems in 1909 but initially hid his passion for poetry. To enter the Moscow literary circles, Pasternak joined the poetic group 'Lyric.' His first poetry collections, 'Twin in the Clouds' (1914) and 'Above the Barriers' (1916), were published during this period. In 1922, the book of poems 'My Sister, Life' was published, which brought him fame and became an expression of his creative position. During this time, he met Vladimir Mayakovsky, whose work influenced him.

From 1920 to 1927, Pasternak was a member of the literary association 'LEF,' along with Mayakovsky, Aseev, and O. Brik. During these years, he published the collection 'Themes and Variations' (1923) and began working on the novel in verse 'Spektorsky' (1925), which has autobiographical elements.

In 1931, Pasternak went to Georgia. The poems written under the impression of the Caucasus became part of the cycle 'Waves,' which later became part of the book 'Second Birth.' While living there, he engaged in translations from Georgian, as well as translating works by Shakespeare, Goethe, and Schiller. Translations became a regular part of his work from 1934 and continued until his death.

In 1935, Pasternak wrote letters to Joseph Stalin, advocating for the husband and son of Anna Akhmatova. The novel 'Doctor Zhivago,' which he wrote for 10 years and completed in 1955, became the pinnacle of his work as a prose writer. In 1958, the novel was published abroad, and Pasternak received the Nobel Prize for it. However, at home, the novel faced criticism from the authorities and literary circles, and Pasternak was expelled from the Writers' Union. In 1988, the novel was published in the magazine 'Novy Mir.' It concludes with the poems of the main character, filled with the moral and philosophical pathos of the author.

In 1921, Pasternak's family emigrated from Russia. He actively corresponded with them and other Russian émigrés, including Marina Tsvetaeva. In 1922, Pasternak married artist Evgenia Lurie, and in 1923, they had a son, Evgeny, who died in 2012. After divorcing Evgenia in 1932, he married Zinaida Nikolaevna Neigauz. In 1938, they had a son, Leonid. Zinaida died in 1966 from cancer.

In 1946, Pasternak met Olga Ivinskaya, to whom he dedicated many poems and considered his 'muse.' In 1952, he suffered a heart attack but continued to create and develop. He began a new cycle of poems 'When It Gets Windy,' which became his last book. An incurable illness, lung cancer, led to his death on May 30, 1960, in Peredelkino.