Bely, Andrei

The Russian novelist, poet and critic Andrei (or Andrey) Bely was born in Moscow as Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev. His father was a famous mathematician, his mother was a society beauty and their gifted son studied natural sciences, literature and philosophy at the University of Moscow. He was influenced by new scientific discoveries, the Russian classics, Nietzsche and religious mysticism, especially the writings of the apocalyptic philosopher Vladimir Solovyov. He was also a great music lover; music would later come to play a major role in his oeuvre. He was a great friend of the poet Alexander Blok, although the relationship was complicated because of their differing political opinions and Bugaev's affair with Blok's wife.