Life and Fate

Vasily Grossman was born in Berdichev, Ukraine, to an assimilated Jewish family. He attended university in Moscow and worked as a chemist; however, he became a writer, often exploring Jews and social issues. During World War II he served as a front-line newspaper correspondent. He was also a member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, and contributed, with Ilya Ehrenburg, to Chernaia kniga (The Black Book), outlining Russian anti-Jewish policies. After the war, Grossman continued not to be shy about expressing his views on Soviet antisemitism, and he refused to be censored.