Portrait of Nicolai Gogol

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Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, born on March 31, 1809, and died on March 4, 1852, was a renowned Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer with Ukrainian roots. A heated debate rages among some Russian and Ukrainian scholars over whether Gogol should be considered a Russian or Ukrainian author, with each side accusing the other of misappropriating his work. During his time, Gogol was regarded as one of the leading figures in the natural school of Russian literary realism. However, later critics have discovered that his writing is infused with a fundamentally romantic sensibility, along with elements of surrealism and the grotesque, as seen in works like "The Nose," "Viy," "The Overcoat," and "Nevsky Prospekt." His early writings, such as "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka," were heavily influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing and culture. In contrast, his later writing often targeted the corruption within the Russian Empire, as seen in "The Government Inspector" and "Dead Souls." Notable works include the novel "Taras Bulba," published in 1835, and the play "Marriage," released in 1842, along with short stories like "Diary of a Madman," "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," "The Portrait," and "The Carriage."