Marieta Shahinian

Moscow-born Marieta Shahinian (1888-1982) wrote numerous novels and essays in Russian. Early in her career she adopted the pseudonym Jim Dollar and published an anthology of adventure novels (‘Yankees in Petrograd’, ‘Lorie Lan the Metalist’ and ‘Road to Baghdad’). In 1937 she published ‘The Ulianov Family’, where she wrote about the Kalmyk origins of Lenin’s father. As a result, she suffered purges and her books were banned. She also was the originator of the hypothesis of Goethe’s Armenian origins. Shahinian died in 1982. Long before her death she was honored with the most prestigious Soviet literary awards.

Moscow-born Marieta Shahinian (1888-1982) wrote numerous novels and essays in Russian. Early in her career she adopted the pseudonym Jim Dollar and published an anthology of adventure novels (‘Yankees in Petrograd’, ‘Lorie Lan the Metalist’ and ‘Road to Baghdad’). In 1937 she published ‘The Ulianov Family’, where she wrote about the Kalmyk origins of Lenin’s father. As a result, she suffered purges and her books were banned. She also was the originator of the hypothesis of Goethe’s Armenian origins. Shahinian died in 1982. Long before her death she was honored with the most prestigious Soviet literary awards.