In an autobiographical sketch written in 1924, Bulgakov claimed that his first adult writing was done on a train one night in 1919, by the light of a candle in a bottle. The resulting sketch was sold to a newspaper in Vladikavkaz, appearing as his first paid work, but Bulgakov had been writing creatively from a very early age, amusing family and friends with imaginative story telling and drama. As to his background, the story has depended on the audience being addressed. This is not surprising given that one's “class” status at the time of the Revolution could tip the scales for or against survival.
Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov, the eldest of seven children, was born on May 15th, 1891 in Kiev. His father, the son of a rural priest from Orel province, rose to become a professor of
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Citation: Dadswell, Mel. "Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 December 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=634, accessed 25 November 2024.]
