Photo: Владимир Савостьянов / ТАСС / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Boris Pasternak is one of those rare figures who managed to be both a towering poet and a novelist of epic scope — and honestly, the poet in him is what makes Doctor Zhivago so different from any other war-and-revolution saga. Born in Moscow in 1890, he grew up steeped in the culture of pre-revolutionary Russia, and that world never fully left his writing. When the Nobel committee gave him the Literature prize in 1958, the Soviet government pressured him into refusing it — one of the pettiest acts of literary censorship in modern history. The man wrote a masterpiece and wasn't even allowed to accept the award for it. He died two years later, in 1960, with the manuscript of Doctor Zhivago still banned in his homeland. The book eventually found the readers it deserved, and Pasternak's place in world literature is unshakeable — state pressure and all.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Boris Pasternak
- Name (Japanese)
- ボリス・パステルナーク
- Reading
- ぼりす・ぱすてるなーく
- Born
- February 10, 1890 – May 30, 1960
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Tiger
- Origin
- Moscow, Moscow Governorate, Duchy of Moscow
- Occupation
- writer / poet / translator / novelist / playwright
2. Background
- University
- Moscow State University, Faculty of Law
Awards & achievements
- 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature
- Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
- Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
- 1958 Bancarella Literary Prize
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Doctor Zhivago | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Boris Pasternak born?
February 10, 1890 – May 30, 1960.
Where is Boris Pasternak from?
Boris Pasternak is from Moscow, Moscow Governorate, Duchy of Moscow.
What does Boris Pasternak do?
Boris Pasternak works as writer, poet, translator, novelist, playwright.
What is Boris Pasternak known for?
Notable works include Doctor Zhivago.
Writer — see all → · Poet — see all → · More people from Duchy of Moscow →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.