Antoniy Pogorelskiy, the literary pseudonym of Russian writer and member of the Russian Academy Alexey Alexeevich Perovsky. Alexey Alexeevich was born in Moscow in 1787 and spent his childhood at his father's estate, Alexey Kirillovich Razumovsky, where he received an excellent home education. He graduated from Moscow University, earning a degree in philosophical and literary sciences, and formed a friendship with Pyotr Vyazemsky, as well as meeting Zhukovsky, Voeykov, and other notable writers of the time.

Before the start of the Patriotic War of 1812, the young count served in the sixth department of the Senate and was a member of several literary and scientific societies, such as the "Society of History and Antiquities of Russia" and the "Society of Lovers of Russian Literature." However, soon Perovsky decided to change his life and, against his father's will, enlisted in the military.

He was assigned to the 3rd Ukrainian Cossack Regiment and later transferred to the Life Guards Ulan Regiment. Until 1816, he served in the Kingdom of Saxony, where he became fascinated with German Romanticism, especially the works of Ernst Hoffmann. Subsequently, he became one of the first Russian authors to incorporate the traditions of German Romanticism into his work.

After the war, upon retiring, Alexey Alexeevich returned to St. Petersburg and took a position in the Department of Spiritual Affairs of Foreign Confessions. He began attending meetings of the "Arzamas Society of Unknown People," where he met writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Vasily Zhukovsky, and Konstantin Batyskov.

During this time, Pogorelskiy made his literary debut with the novella "Lafertevskaya Makovnica," the first fantastic work of romantic type in Russian literature. The novella was so unusual that the editor had to issue a special explanation of its conclusion.

In 1822, after his father's death, Alexey Alexeevich moved to the estate of Pogorelytsy, where he lived with his sister and nephew Alexey Tolstoy. In 1828, upon returning to St. Petersburg, he published the book "The Double, or My Evenings in Little Russia," which intrigued readers but was received ambiguously by critics.

A year later, he published the fairy tale "The Black Hen, or the Underground Dwellers," and in 1833, the novel "Monastyrka." After retiring, Perovsky focused on raising his nephew and traveling. He passed away on July 21, 1836, on his way to Nice, where he was headed for tuberculosis treatment.