Happy Birthday, Korney!

Корней Иванович Чуковский (Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky) was born on March 31, 1882. His name is a pen-name; he was born Nikolay Vasilyevich Korneychukov. A writer, translator, and literary critic, his children's verses - "Доктор Айболит", "Муха-Цокотуха", "Бармалей", "Крокодил", "Мойдодыр и Тараканище", "Телефон" (Doctor Aibolit, Mukha-Tsokotukha, Barmaley, Krokodil (Crocodile), Moydodyr, Tarakanishche (The Giant Roach), and Telefon (Telephone) - are classics of Russian life, and at least some lines of them can be recited by almost everyone.

He was an excellent translator as well - Уитмена, Киплинга, Уайльда. Ему принадлежат переводы книг Марка Твена, Гилберта Честертона, О Генри, Артура Конан Дойла, Уильяма Шекспира. (Whitman, Kipling, Wilde, Mark Twain, GK Chesterton (Gilbert? I must admit I did not know that) O Henry (note: the Russians treat that like an Irish name, О'Генри - O'Henry), Conan Doyle, William Shakespeare). He also wrote a book on translation called Высокое исскуство (High Art), an excellent reference, especially for the pitfalls and problems facing the translator.

But why is this up today? Well, as the director of the Chukovsky Museum in Peredelkino, one Sergey Agapov, explains:

"Корней Иванович не любил праздновать свой день рождения 31 марта, и всегда переносили его на 1 апреля. И в нашем музее в этот день по традиции соберутся друзья, родственники, почитатели его творчества."

(Korney Ivanovich did not like celebrating his birthday on March 31, and always moved it to April 1. So it is on that day that the museum hosts the traditional gathering of his friends and relatives, and the readers of his books.)