Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a towering figure in Russian literature, renowned for his significant contributions as a novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, and translator. Born on November 9, 1818, Turgenev became a popularizer of Russian literature in the West.

His first major publication, A Sportsman's Sketches (1852), marked a milestone in Russian realism, offering realistic and affectionate portrayals of the Russian peasantry. His novels, including Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860), and Fathers and Sons (1862), provide penetrating studies of the Russian intelligentsia. Fathers and Sons is particularly regarded as one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

Turgenev was a contemporary of literary giants such as Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, sharing the literary stage yet distinguishing himself through his unique perspectives and literary achievements.