Ivan Andreyevich Krylov was born on February 13, 1769 into the family of an officer and spent his childhood years in the Urals and in Tver. The head of the family died early — in 1778 — having left a widow with two children to take care of. The family was constantly in need, and Krylov started working when a teenager yet. In 1782 he moved to Petersburg with his mother. He was systematically engaged in self-education: studied literature, Italian and French languages, and mathematics. Soon he took a post in the Petersburg state chamber.

In 1786-1788 Krylov created a cycle of comedies: “The author in the lobby”, “A mad family”, “Bunch of mischief”. In those comedies he derided debauchery and moral vacuum of the society in the capital. Krylov’s satire displeased the imperial family, and he was compelled to shift to the province. The writer came back to Petersburg only in 1806. During the period from 1812 to 1841 he served as a librarian in the Imperial public library.

Krylov showed himself as a fabulist in 1809, when first book of fables was published. Krylov’s fables are integrally intertwined with the realm of Russian proverbs and sayings. They provided lots of new popular expressions, which later turned into proverbs.

Krylov’s fables remain popular and timely even today. They have been translated into more than 50 foreign languages.