Maria Arbatova is a playwright, writer, publicist. He successfully combines literary activity with public work, speaks on television and radio, actively promotes the ideas of feminism. More than 20 books and 14 plays have been published in Russia, many works have been translated into foreign languages and republished many times.
Childhood and youth
Maria (real name Gavrilin) was born in 1957 in the city of Murom, a year later the family moved to Moscow. Ivan Gavrilovich Gavrilin, father, taught Marxist philosophy, mother Tsivya Ilyinichna Aizenstadt worked as a microbiologist.
Maria's childhood was overshadowed by a serious illness, because of which she had to spend a lot of time in hospitals and sanatoriums. Due to the forced immobility, the girl read and pondered a lot, a penchant for literature appeared very early. From a young age, the future writer demonstrated firmness of character - for example, due to personal convictions, she did not join the Komsomol, although this greatly complicated her school life. In high school, she joined the hippie movement, it was at this time that Maria chose her future pseudonym - Arbatova.
The girl attended the school of a young journalist at Moscow State University, entered the Faculty of Philosophy, but left it due to ideological pressure from teachers. Later she graduated from the Faculty of Drama of the Literary Institute. Gorky, at the same time studied the basics of psychoanalytic counseling with Boris Kravtsov, who specializes not so much in psychoanalysis as in esotericism.
Creative biography
The first play "The Envious" was released in 1979, in total there are 14 works in the writer's creative baggage. All of them were staged on stage, but the quality of the performances rarely suited Arbatova, so after 1994 she no longer wrote plays. The literary path continued with stories, novels, journalism, many works were translated into foreign languages.
Most of the stories and novels combine autobiographical notes; the books raise the problems of feminism, relationships with parents and children, gender equality, and the formation of one's own sexuality. To date, 22 books have been published, including collections of authors. Maria wrote screenplays, translated, worked as a columnist for Obshchaya Gazeta, co-hosted the television project I Myself, and hosted her own radio program. She has 2 small movie roles.
Since 1996, Maria Arbatova has provided private psychological consultations, participated in political PR projects and election campaigns. In 1999 she was nominated as a deputy of the State Duma, but lost to Mikhail Zadornov, the candidate of the Yabloko party.
Since the late 90s, Arbatova has been actively involved in social activities, defends the rights of women and sexual minorities, writes articles, and appears on television shows. The writer's own personal life is also very rich. On account of her 3 marriages, from her first husband Mary gave birth to twin sons Peter and Paul.
Arbatova's last husband, Shumit Datta Gupta, is an Indian from the highest caste, works as a financial analyst and lives in Moscow. The writer is sure that this marriage is the last, since her meeting with India was predetermined by fate.
