Nikolai Gogol is one of the most famous of all Russian authors.  Born in 1809 in the Ukraine, Gogol would become known as the Father of Russian Realism.  His real surname was actually Ianovsky, however his grandfather had changed it order to claim noble Cossack ancestry.  From 1819-1821, Gogol attended the Poltava boarding school and from there went on to high school at Nyezhin (a little town outside Kiev) until 1828.  He didn't exactly excel in his studies there, but he did develop a love of theater, which would have a major impact on his future career.  After graduating, he moved to St. Petersburg where he published his first piece of writing: an epic poem called Hans Kuchelgarten.  It was a disaster.  The public hated it, and, in a strong reaction to the harsh criticism, Gogol burned all remaining unsold copies.
    During this time, Gogol went through many careers: he was a professor, a low-level government official (a type of person he would write many of his works about), an actor--he even sailed for America in hopes of finding fortune there, that is until he got seasick and homesick before even leaving the Baltic Sea and returned home.  
    Then, in 1831, came the turning point of Gogol's life.  He met the great poet Alexander Pushkin.  The two became great friends until Pushkin's death.  The poet had a major impact upon Gogol's work and gave him many of his ideas.  That year, he published his 'Dikinka Tales', which were sketches about Ukrainian life.  These were well accepted by the public and Gogol decided to become a full-time writer.  
    In 1835, Gogol published Mirgorod, which was a collection of stories.  This collection included his famous Taras Bulba, which is the most Homeric piece of writing in all of Russian literature and an irrefutable proof of Gogol's amazing abilities as a writer.  
    That same year, Gogol published a collection called The St. Petersburg Stories.  This collection included several of his most famous stories, such as Diary of a Mad Man, The Nose and The Overcoat.  The Overcoat, perhaps his most famous short story, deals with a minor official who finally saves up enough money to buy a coat, and then has it stolen from him.  The story contrasts his meekness with the severity of the Important Person whom he tries to get to help him.
    That same year, Gogol pubkished, in Pushkin's journal, one of his most famous works: The Inspector General.  This humorous play is about a group of corrupt small town officials who learn that a government inspector is coming to town incognito.  In fright, they wrongly assume a traveling man and his servant to be the inspectors, and much fun ensues.  The first production of the play was preformed in front of the Czar himself, who, upon leaving, commented that the play got at everyone, but most of all himself.  Gogol, once again overreacting, fled the country and traveled all over Europe before settling down in Rome.
    It was in Rome that Gogol wrote his most famous work, the unfinished novel Dead Souls.  This novel was about a man, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, who goes around buying dead serfs in order to sell them for a huge profit.  This was the pinnacle of Gogol's career.  It is an extremely funny work, with extremely light hearted language.  One ironic thing about Gogol's style is how light hearted the writing is, but how serious of matters it deals with.
    The first addition of his complete works was published in 1842, and he immediately became one of the most popular writers in Russia.  During the last few years of his life, Gogol returned to Russia where he came down with intense nervous depression, from which he died on February 21, 1852 in Moscow.  His last words, which were put onto his tomb were "And I shall die with a bitter laugh."